Darkness in the Offing
by Dayoh
Summary: Life after a 'Weekend at Ranger's' proves to be a challenge for Stephanie as she starts a new beginning, while trying to cope with a feeling of an imminent fate. A/N: Thank you all for your positive reviews of my series. I appreciate the feedback.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter One

Stephanie sat in an air-cooled classroom, mentally counting down the days since she'd last talked to Ranger. Two weeks, two days, and three hours ago, Ranger had contacted her after his plane landed in Mexico. And he'd explained that once he started his assignment, the calls would probably be few and far between. Unfortunately, he'd been right. Sixteen days later, she was still waiting for a call from Ranger.

Stephanie was half listening to the instructor as he paced back and forth in front of the class, the monotonous tone of his voice lulling her into a trance-like state of mind. She'd been excited about starting her first week of classes, hoping the extra activities would help to keep her mind off Ranger.

She'd pursued FTA's during the day, and attended class two nights a week, using her free nights to study and complete class assignments. But, two weeks into the hectic schedule was proving to be a challenge, especially with Ranger being gone. Checking her cell phone every five minutes, fearing she'd miss a call from Ranger, Stephanie was too preoccupied with worry to give the instructor her full attention.

"Now, let's review chapter four," the instructor said, pulling Stephanie away from her thoughts. She glanced down at her text book, trying to recall what he'd just covered in chapter three. Flipping through the pages of the book, Stephanie felt her cell phone vibrate against her hip. She glanced at the caller ID, blowing out a frustrated sigh as Lula's name and number popped up on the florescent back drop. She sent the call to voice mail, knowing it was going to be a long night.

***

Stephanie walked into her apartment at nine-thirty. And while the hour was still early, exhaustion had settled in her bones, the long day finally catching up to her. Shuffling to the bedroom, she stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower, washing the day's grit off her body. By the time she'd dried her hair, and pulled on a pair of flannel pajamas, it was just past ten o'clock. Stephanie checked her cell phone and a wave of disappointment washed over her. Ranger hadn't called yet.

Padding to the kitchen, Stephanie tapped lightly on Rex's cage. The pet hamster popped his head out of his soup can, sniffing the air, hoping for a late night snack. Stephanie stuck her head in the refrigerator, searching for comfort food. She plucked a grape off a stem for Rex, and pulled out a pizza box and a beer for herself. The pizza was three-days-old, so she didn't bother to nuke it in the microwave. She took the cold pizza and the beer to the living room, sitting on the couch to finish her meal, her cell phone close at hand.

Grabbing the remote off the coffee table, Stephanie switched on the television, flipping from one channel to the next. Halloween was fast approaching and the cable channels were filled with late night horror flicks. One channel had zombies slowly ambling toward their terrified victims. And another channel had a madman wielding a chainsaw, chasing screaming teenagers through a house. Stephanie did not want to watch _The Night of the Living Dead_, nor was she interested in _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_. She had to deal with enough horror on the job; she didn't need to watch it on television.

Polishing off the last slice of pizza, Stephanie took a long pull from the beer bottle, belching loudly as the bitter liquid settled in her stomach. She decided that a classic rendition of _It_'s_ the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown _was more her speed as she relaxed into the cushions of her couch, her eyes growing heavy.

Stephanie did not remember falling asleep, so when she opened her eyes to find the living room bathed in complete darkness, and Ranger staring down at her, she hoped like hell she wasn't dreaming. A cold chill shot up her spine as she studied Ranger's face, a strange glow of light illuminating his features. His eyes, usually dark and intense, now held a vacant stare, as if he were looking right through her. And his skin, normally dark and smooth, was now pale, a lifeless hue of gray covering his hands and face. Stephanie opened her mouth to call his name, but words would not come.

Ranger didn't speak; he just hovered, staring down at her like one of the zombies that had graced her television earlier in the night. Stephanie's heart was pounding in her chest and she closed her eyes, squeezing them together tightly, praying to wake up. Hearing a distant ringing in her ears, Stephanie cracked open one eye, wondering if Ranger was still in the room. He was gone. The ringing was incessantly getting louder, the sound piercing through the darkness.

Stephanie jerked on the couch, the relentless noise pulling her from the nightmare. She gazed around the room, frantically scanning the space around her. The television was still on, showing an infomercial for exercise equipment, and the lights were burning bright. Stephanie blinked rapidly, her eyes focusing on the coffee table. Her cell phone was ringing.

She snatched up the phone and read the display. And then she blew out an anxious sigh, hoping the _unidentified caller_ was Ranger.

"Hello," she said in a breathless whisper, still trying to recover from the nightmare.

"Babe," Ranger said in a quiet voice. "I thought you'd never pick up. Were you asleep?"

Stephanie felt a relief so strong she could barely speak. "God, I'm so relieved to hear your voice," she said, her voice thick with sleep and worry. "I've been so worried about you, and I just had this horrible dream…."

"Slow down, Babe," Ranger interrupted, concern lacing his words. "I'm fine.

Are you okay?"

"The dream was awful," Stephanie continued. "You were standing over me, and you looked…dead…and I couldn't speak…and you wouldn't say anything."

"Take a deep breath," Ranger said calmly. "Your dreams are just a manifestation of your fears."

Stephanie stifled a sob, inhaling a shaky breath and letting it out in a rushed sigh. "I'll be okay."

Ranger was silent for a beat, contemplating the honesty in Stephanie's words.

"You don't sound too convincing to me, Babe. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure," Stephanie lied. She didn't want to let on just how much the nightmare had scared her. Ranger had enough to worry about; he didn't need any added drama. Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "What about you? How are you doing? Are you close to catching your guy?"

"I'm getting closer," Ranger supplied. "I know my target's regular haunts now. He'll be showing up soon."

"Are you eating and sleeping okay?" Stephanie asked Ranger.

"I'm getting enough sleep to function. And I'm eating enough to survive."

Stephanie laughed softly. "What? No health food stores in Mexico?"

"No. Not in the places I've been staying."

"I hope you get your man soon, so you can come home."

"I'll be home soon. Are you keeping out of trouble? No stalkers or serial killers at your door?"

"No. Just a zombie that has a strange resemblance to you," Stephanie teased, trying to shrug off her nightmare.

"Babe, you need to stop eating junk food before you go to bed. How's school?"

Stephanie yawned, rubbing her tired eyes. "School's fine. It's been an adjustment, but I'll do okay."

Ranger's voice was comforting, like a soothing summer breeze. "Hang in there."

Stephanie heard a car door close, and then the sound of an engine being started on Ranger's end.

"I have to get back to work now."

Stephanie felt her stomach drop. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so uneasy, but she didn't want Ranger to disconnect the call. So she remained silent.

"Babe?"

"I'm here."

Ranger gave a soft sigh. "This is hard for me, too," he said, as if reading her mind. "I hate being away from you."

Stephanie felt her eyes well up with tears, and she wondered what the heck her problem was. Why was she feeling so needy?

"Will it be two more weeks before I hear from you again?"

"I'll see what I can do," Ranger answered honestly. "I'm not always in a place with good reception. And I can't use my personal cell phone to call you. I don't want to risk my calls being traced back to you."

Stephanie was quiet again, afraid she'd bust out in tears if she spoke another word. She understood Ranger's dilemma, she really did. He was dealing with a dangerous organization and he was trying to keep her identity protected. The situation wouldn't be so bad if she could just pick up the phone and call him anytime, day or night. But she had to wait for his call, and the lack of communication was killing her. Her lifeline to Ranger had been temporarily disconnected, and she wasn't happy about that.

"I love you, Babe," Ranger said softly. And then he was gone.

***

The next morning, Stephanie walked into the bonds office at nine-thirty a.m., arriving a half hour later than her usual nine o'clock arrival time.

"Uh oh," Lula proclaimed, her eyes skimming Stephanie from head to toe. "You don't look so good. In fact, you're a hot mess! What's going on?"

Stephanie had not bothered to really look at herself in the mirror before she left home. She'd pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, shoving her hair under a baseball cap. And she was pretty sure there were bags under her eyes. She'd tossed and turned all night, thinking about Ranger and the nightmare she'd had.

She looked at Lula, unfazed by her observation, and said, "Rough night."

Lula put her hands on her hips, inspecting her friends face. "A little make-up might make you feel better. Damn, spruce yourself up."

"No thanks," Stephanie said. "I'm too tired to bother with make-up today."

"Suite yourself," Lula said, returning to her filing duties.

Stephanie glanced at the black, spandex tube top and mini skirt that Lula was wearing over purple tights, black ankle boots completing the ensemble. Lula was the hot mess, but Stephanie kept her thoughts to herself.

Connie was sitting behind her desk shuffling through junk mail. She gave Stephanie a once over and asked, "Have you heard from Ranger?"

Stephanie put her hand over her mouth, stifling a yawn. "Yes. He called last night. He's fine."

As far as Connie and Lula were concerned, Ranger was out of town on business. And Stephanie didn't offer more details than that. They had not been too surprised when she'd finally spilled the beans about her new relationship status with Ranger. In spite of everything, he'd made no secret of his attraction to her.

But, what had surprised her friends was the way Stephanie had tiptoed around certain details of Ranger's life. She wouldn't say anything about his family, where the Bat Cave was located, or what he _really_ did when he left the country. Connie and Lula had been under the impression that Stephanie would tell them everything about Ranger, but she'd kept his secrets to herself. If Ranger wanted them to know his business, he would have to be the one to tell them.

"He called you last night, huh?" Lula asked. "Well, no wonder you're so tired. Phone sex can be draining. I swear, you almost use more energy than you would if the person was right in front of you. What, with all that moaning and groaning and dirty talk. You can get lost in that shit for hours."

Connie rolled her eyes at Lula, passing a stack of files to Stephanie. Stephanie's lips curled into a small smile, the thought of engaging in phone sex with Ranger relaxing her mind.

She admitted, "Phone sex would have been nice, but we didn't have a lot of time to talk. I tossed and turned all night. I guess I'm a little overwhelmed with my new schedule."

Stephanie's excuse for being tired was partially true. And she wished she could disclose what was really bothering her. She could have used a little support and guidance from her friends. But to tell them the whole truth would mean she'd have to spill Ranger's secret. And she didn't want to betray his trust.

"You'll get used to it," Connie confirmed. "Just think, within a couple of years you can leave the bounty hunter business behind and do something you really want to do."

This is true," Stephanie agreed, plucking a folder from the stack of files in her hand. "I'm gonna go after Old Lady Beasley today. Word on the street is she'll be showing up for Lunch Hour Bingo at Parellie's."

Lula sucked her teeth in disgust. "I can't stand Old Lady Beasley. The last time we tried to apprehend her; she took a bite out of my boob! I swear, I never thought fake teeth could be so painful."

Stephanie rolled her eyes in the top of her head. "You had her in a head lock, Lula. She couldn't breath!"

"Hunh," Lula grunted. "I ain't scared to fight an 80-year-old woman. She's lucky I didn't shoot her in the foot."

"Here's the deal," Stephanie explained. "I'll take care of Beasley by myself. But, I'll need your help with Cody Myers."

Connie looked at the file in Stephanie's hand. "Christ! Cody is a handful. Lula might have to sit on him."

Stephanie scanned the pages of Cody Myer's file. "He's been arrested three times for domestic battery, so he's violent, that's for sure. He works at Pino's, the evening shift."

"We should go and grab him tonight when he starts his shift," Lula suggested.

"Good thinking," Stephanie said, looking at Lula. "I'll go scope out Old Lady Beasley and try to nab her while she's playing Bingo. I don't have class tonight, so I'll pick you up here at the office around five-thirty. Cory starts his shift at six p.m.; we'll grab him before he clocks in."

***

Stephanie pulled in front of the bonds office at five-thirty five, and Lula bounced out of the front door with a bucket of chicken.

"I thought we might need some energy food," she said, squeezing herself into the passenger side of Stephanie's Jeep. "On account we might need extra energy, just in case Cody tries to act a damn fool. How did it go with Old Lady Beasley?"

Stephanie took a napkin from Lula and pulled a fried chicken leg out of the bucket.

"I got her. The senior citizens tried to run interference, but Grandma Mazur was there, she had my back."

Stephanie conveniently left off the part where Grandma Mazur had punched Mr. Tate in the gut. Old Lady Beasley was rumored to be dating Mr. Tate, and he did nothing to dispel the rumor. Nor had he been too crazy about Stephanie putting handcuffs on his woman and marching her away from Lunch Hour Bingo. Stephanie had stuffed Beasley in the back of her Jeep, listening to her cuss like a sailor all the way to the police station, threatening to break Stephanie's legs the next time she saw her.

By the time Stephanie pulled into the parking lot of Pino's, nearly half of the chicken was gone. Stephanie licked chicken grease off her lips and looked through the front door of the restaurant. Lula mirrored Stephanie's movements, wiping her hands with a napkin.

"I don't know about you," Lula stated. "But I think I could use a nap. I guess fried chicken is a bad choice for energy."

"Yeah," Stephanie agreed. "I'm not very excited about this apprehension. We could come back tomorrow, when we have more energy."

Before Lula could open her mouth to concur, a blue, Honda Civic pulled in front of the restaurant and Cody Myers hopped out of the passenger side of the car. Cody stood well over six feet tall, and there was at least three inches of hair puffed out into an afro on his head. He was a solid wall of hair, muscle and flesh.

"Shit!" Stephanie spat. "That's him, and he's a lot bigger than I thought."

Lula glared at the man standing between her and a long nap as he ambled through the front door of the establishment. She said, "I suppose we'd be some pitiful bounty hunter's if we just let him walk right by us."

Stephanie pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's go," she said, opening the car door and stepping out.

Lula pulled herself out of the Jeep, searching her purse for her gun.

Stephanie blew out another sigh and rolled her eyes. "No guns! There are kids in there."

"My ass!" Lula barked, pushing the gun down into the waistband of her purple tights. Did you see that man? Ain't no way I'm going after him without a gun. And if he gives us any funny business, I'm shooting him in the foot."

Stephanie pulled her hand bag over her shoulder, the weight from the handcuffs, pepper spray, and stun gun stretching her neck muscles. They marched into the restaurant, eyes scanning the large eatery for their target. Stephanie spotted Cory punching his time card behind the front counter and nudged Lula's arm, motioning her head in his direction.

"He's clocking in. Let's get him."

Pino's was packed, families talking and laughing loudly while eating their meals. Easing towards Corey, stalking their prey, Stephanie and Lula sidled up next to the FTA as he slid his time card in its rightful slot.

"Cory Myers?" Stephanie asked the man. He turned and looked at Stephanie and Lula, a few seconds passing before recognition set in.

"Oh, hell no!" Cory said, throwing his hands up in the air in disgust. "I ain't got time for this shit right now."

"You skipped out on your court date," Stephanie explained, even though Cory knew exactly why she was there. "You know the routine. Let's go."

Lula stood a few inches behind Stephanie, her hand resting on the top of her gun. Cory blew out a sigh in mock defeat, turning his back to Stephanie, waiting to be cuffed. Stephanie gave a side glance to Lula and reached into her bag for her handcuffs. The minute she looked down, Cory took off, racing towards the front door of the restaurant. Stephanie and Lula gave chase, pumping their arms like Olympic sprinters.

"Stop!" Stephanie yelled, breathing hard.

Cory had almost made it to the front door, but was inadvertently stopped by a patron walking back to his table with a large pepperoni pizza, and a cardboard cup holder with four drinks in it. Shocked by the large man running towards him, the patron froze like a deer caught in headlights. Cory slammed into the man, and they both crumbled to the floor, the pepperoni pizza and drinks flying into the air on impact. Not able to slow their momentum, Stephanie and Lula collapsed in a heap on top of the two men just as the pizza and drinks fell from of the air, landing on top of them.

Cory was trying to crawl from under the weight of Stephanie and Lula, and the man underneath him was turning blue. Stephanie screamed to Lula, "Grab your gun and shoot him!"

The patron at the bottom of the pile screamed loudly, "Don't shoot! For the love of God, don't shoot!"

The words 'gun' and 'shoot' spread like wildfire throughout the restaurant, and mayhem broke out. Men grabbed their screaming wives and crying children, shielding them from imaginary flying bullets. A stampede of people ran towards the front and back exits. But, there was one problem. Stephanie and her crew were blocking the front door, still piled in a heap on the floor, pizza and soda covering their bodies.

Stephanie had Cory in a head lock while Lula pulled her gun from her waistband. From Stephanie's position on the floor, all she saw was a massive sea of feet and legs running towards her. Removing her arms from around Cory's neck, Stephanie snatched the gun out of Lula's hand, raising it in the air. She closed her eyes and shot off a couple of rounds into the tiled ceiling, plaster falling on her head.

The stampede stopped short with the sound of the gunfire, turning and running in the opposite direction, trying to get away from the crazy lady with the gun. Some people hit the floor while others hid under tables and behind the front counter. Those that couldn't find a hiding place escaped through the back door, screaming for someone to call nine-one-one.

While Stephanie was shooting the gun, Cory was making his way to the front door, crawling on all fours. Stephanie wiped pizza sauce out of her eyes and pointed the gun at Corey. "Move another inch, and I swear I'll shoot you in the ass!" Cory froze at the door, not wanting to test Stephanie's sworn statement.

Lula grabbed the handcuffs and shuffled over to Cory, locking the metal bracelets tightly around his wrists. Police cars were arriving in droves, reports of a psycho woman shooting up Pino's filling the airways of their radios. Stephanie pulled Cory to his feet, trying to catch her breath in the process. And then Morelli ambled through the front door, a knowing smirk covering his face.

He glanced around the war torn restaurant, and then he cut his eyes at Stephanie and Lula. "I heard the call come over the radio about some crazy lady shooting up the place. The description matched you perfectly. That's the only reason why they didn't shoot you through the window."

Morelli gave another glance at the turned over tables and chairs, the floor smeared with Coke and pizza. The scene was reminiscent of a modern day mob hit. "You sure know how to start a riot, Cupcake."

"It wasn't my fault!" Stephanie said as plaster tumbled from her hair. She gave Morelli a short version of what had just gone down, as the owner of the empty restaurant walked around, staring in disbelief.

Morelli grinned at his ex-girlfriend, picking pizza crust off her shirt. "Stephanie, I don't mean this in a bad way. But I'm really glad you're Ranger's problem now."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Morelli. "I'm nobody's problem. I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"

Morelli rocked back on his heels, giving the restaurant one last look. Shaking his head, he said, "You've destroyed a restaurant in five minutes flat. You're a walking disaster!"

"To hell with you, Morelli," Stephanie huffed, grabbing Cory by the arm. Lula had disappeared, as she always did when cops were around. Pulling her bag over her shoulder, Stephanie marched pass Morelli and a group of uniforms, scratching their heads at the catastrophic mess. Making it to her car, she stuffed Cory in the back of her Jeep, jumped in the driver's seat and peeled out of the parking lot, tires screeching on the asphalt.

Lula was waiting for Stephanie a few blocks from the restaurant. She jumped into the Jeep when Stephanie pulled alongside her.

"Boy, did we shake things up or what? You saved my life. I thought we were going to get trampled by all those folks. Did you see how many people were trying to get out that door?" Lula searched the Jeep for the chicken bucket. "I need more chicken. All that commotion got me good and hungry. Where's the chicken?"

Stephanie reached behind the back seat and grabbed the bucket. There were a few more pieces of chicken left.

She passed the bucket to Lula. "Well, we might have excited a few people," Stephanie admitted. "But, we got our man."

"Y'all some dumb ass bitches," Cory chimed in. "I could have gotten away if that idiot hadn't blocked my path." Cory stretched his neck and sniffed the air, the aroma of chicken and pepperoni invading his nostrils. "Yo, let me hold a chicken leg."

"Kiss my ass," Lula told Cory. This mess is your fault. You can hold a bullet. How 'bout that?"

"No more shooting!" Stephanie yelled, grabbing a piece of chicken, sinking her teeth into the cold, greasy meat.

Two hours later, Stephanie walked through the front door of her apartment. She marched straight to the shower to rid her body of pizza sauce, soda, and stray pieces of ceiling plaster. After the shower she checked her phone messages, taking a deep breath, knowing her mother had heard the news by now. Stephanie quickly deleted five messages from her mother, and then returned her call.

"Hey!" Grandma Mazur answered on the first ring. "We just heard you shot up Pino's.

Mr. Tate said you had a bomb strapped to your body, but I knew that wasn't true. He's still sore about Old Lady Beasley."

"It wasn't my fault! Just another chaotic apprehension, that's all."

"Your mother's ironing," Grandma Mazur said. "Hold on, I'll go get her."

"That's okay," Stephanie said quickly. "I wouldn't want to disturb her while she's ironing. Tell her I'm fine and I'll call her later."

Stephanie disconnected the line before her grandmother could respond. She pulled a baby carrot out of the refrigerator and dropped it into Rex's cage. Lifting the lid off her cookie jar, she retrieved Ranger's spare house key. Then she padded to her bedroom and threw some clothes into an overnight bag. She was all done in, and all she wanted to do was soak in Ranger's spa tub. She wanted to lay her head on his pillow and inhale his scent. Maybe then she'd get a good night's sleep.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Two

For the third night in a row, Ranger sat in a rented Honda Accord parked on a dark side street, patiently watching and waiting. His ass was numb from the long hours of sitting in one place, and his eyes were burning from lack of sleep. And he wondered how much longer he'd have to lie-in-wait before his target made an appearance.

Up until three days ago, Ranger had been exploring a swampy canal south of Mexico City, relentlessly hunting his prey. By all accounts, the guy he was searching for had established a perfect hiding place on a small island at the southern edge of the canal. But Ranger had yet to find the secret living space. He always seemed to be one step behind his target, until now.

Word on the street was that Ranger's target had an insatiable appetite for wild sex with attractive, young men. And he was known to be a frequent patron of a gay nightclub located sixty miles southeast of Mexico City. The man would drop by the club for a couple of hours to drink and mingle, looking for a male companion who'd be willing to fulfill his secret desires. In truth, Ranger had the reputation of doing just about anything to capture a target. But tonight, he would have to take part in a role that was completely out of his comfort zone, and he was not happy about that.

A gentle breeze was blowing through the open window of the car, and Ranger watched as a steady stream of regulars strolled in and out of a small brick building at the end of the street. His mind drifted, recalling his feral club-hopping days. He had definitely reaped the benefits of the nightclub hunting scene, bringing his prey home, sharing his bed with one…or two…or three beautiful women, depending on what kind of mood he was in at the time. But that was then. Ranger was officially a one-woman-kind-of-man now.

Ranger tried to keep his mind on the task at hand, but his thoughts kept drifting to the last conversation he'd had with Stephanie. Her disquiet mood had left him frustrated with the choice he'd made. They'd only been in a committed relationship for a couple of weeks, and he'd been away the whole time. He was keeping the phone calls to a minimum to protect her, but that didn't ease the guilt he was feeling.

At one point during the conversation, Ranger had been tempted to tell Stephanie that he'd be willing to bail on the job and come home if she needed him. And it was the first time he'd ever considered leaving a job unfinished just to appease a girlfriend. But Stephanie loved Ranger for who he was, and she didn't criticize his choices. Ranger didn't want to lose that kind of unconditional love. And he didn't want to lose Stephanie.

A smile spread across Ranger's face as he reminisced about the first weekend they'd spent together as a couple. The sex had been incredible, but it was the simple intimate moments, like watching television while cuddled together on the couch that he'd enjoyed the most. He'd made a promise to himself to make more time in his schedule to spend those kinds of moments with Stephanie.

Taking a detour from his trip down memory lane, Ranger focused on the entrance of the club again, trying to stay alert. His eyes zeroed in on a male figure walking down a side street towards the club. The man looked to be in his early 40's, about Ranger's height, but with a smaller build. His hair was dirty blond and a little longer than what the photograph showed, but the picture had been taken months ago. The man fit the description of the person he'd been looking for.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Ranger tugged at the hair covering his face, making sure the fake mustache and beard was securely in place. Disguises were mandatory with this organization. The company didn't want to expose the true identities of its employees, and Ranger was fine with that arrangement. He had no desire to be exposed as Ricardo Carlos Manoso tonight. He'd be playing the role of a gay tourist on a business trip, looking for a good time. And if his target took the bait, Ranger would be back in Trenton by tomorrow afternoon.

Stepping out of the car, Ranger looked down at his clothes, hoping he looked the part. He was wearing black, designer jeans that hugged his hips, and snake skin boots on his feet. The mauve, muscle shirt he was wearing accentuated his broad chest, complementing his mocha complexion.

His hair was slicked back with mouse, and he was wearing a pair of Burberry eyeglasses with a thin, silver frame that highlighted his dark eyes. He completed the ensemble with a black, leather jacket. It wasn't the kind of outfit to hide a Kevlar vest or gun, but if Ranger played his cards right, he wouldn't need the extras.

Ranger watched the man walk into the club, and then he sauntered down the street and stood in front of the building, a neon sign announcing the drink specials for the night. Ranger had been advised of the history of his target, and he figured the man was probably no stranger to a night of binge drinking. So, he decided he would prey on the guy's weakness, and then he'd walk him out of the club without a struggle.

The inside of the establishment was small and dimly lit with strobe lights bouncing against the walls and dancing across the floor. A large disco ball was hanging from the ceiling, spinning above a small, empty dance floor. The patrons seemed to have no interest in dancing. Most of the men were hovered around the bar drinking and flirting and laughing with friends and bed mates. There were a few tables pushed into the corners of the club, but they were empty, too. Ranger stood at one end of the bar inconspicuously watching the man. He was standing at the opposite end of the bar, surrounded by a group of young men.

"What you drinking?" the bartender asked Ranger in broken English.

"Vodka on the Rocks," Ranger answered, keeping his eye on the man at the far end of the bar.

A few minutes later, the bartender, a short, round guy with a dark complexion, set Ranger's glass in front of him. Ranger pulled two twenty dollar bills out of his coat pocket and handed them to the man. Then he said, "See the gentleman wearing the blue blazer at the end of the bar?" The bartender nodded his head, glancing at the man Ranger was staring at.

"I'll be taking care of his drinks tonight. You can keep whatever's left."

The bartender gave Ranger a knowing smile, figuring the lucky man at the end of the bar had just won a hot date for the night. Ranger sat on the bar stool, waiting for his prey to come to him. He watched the bartender amble his way down the bar and take the man's drink order, motioning his head in Ranger's direction. The target looked at Ranger, his eyes scanning the length of his body, and smiled wide. Ranger raised his glass in greeting and gave the man a wink. He'd have the son-of-a-bitch in the trunk of his car within the hour.

"Hey, stranger," the target said to Ranger, sidling up beside him with a drink in his hand. "Thanks for the drink."

Ranger decided to go all _Latin Lover_ on the man, using his best romantic, Cuban dialect.

"I figured it was the only way to get you away from the vultures," Ranger said, the tone of his voice an octave lower than usual.

The man's green eyes grew dark at the sound of Ranger's voice. "Damn, you are one sexy man. I haven't seen you in here before. What's your name?"

"Antonio Cruz," Ranger said holding out his hand.

The man covered Ranger's hand with his, holding it a bit too long for Ranger's liking. But he had to play the role, so he gave the man a warm smile.

"Jerry Sanders," the man lied. At least he was smart enough to use an alias. Of course, he'd embezzled over a million dollars from the secret organization that had hired Ranger, so he was far from stupid. The man's desperate need for affection would ultimately seal his fate. If the guy hadn't been a brazen thief, Ranger might have felt sorry for him. But Jerry had decided his own fate when he chose to steal money from his own company.

Ranger gently pulled his hand from between Jerry's sweaty palms. "Pleasure to meet you, Jerry. I would love for you to keep me company tonight, if you don't mind."

Jerry smiled at Ranger, his eyes sparkling with glee. "You keep the drinks coming, and I'll stay by your side for the rest of the night."

Ranger's stomach turned, but kept what he hoped was a seductive smile on his face. Jerry was already shit-faced; he must have started the party long before he walked through the front door of the club. Looking down at Ranger's jeans, Jerry said, "Well, you seem to be packing the heat, that's for sure. I can't wait to get you back to...Wherever it is you're staying." He looked at Ranger pointedly.

"I'm staying at a hotel in Mexico City," Ranger said, knowing Jerry would not be so quick to give up his hiding place. But it didn't matter; Jerry's days in hiding were over.

Jerry studied Ranger, appraising his face. "Let me guess. You're on a business trip from Columbia?"

"Yes," Ranger agreed. He'd go along with that.

"I knew it!" Jerry said proudly. "I'm pretty good at reading people. A lot of business men _swing_ by this club, if you know what I mean." Jerry winked his eye at Ranger. And Ranger kept a smile plastered on his face. He had no idea what the man meant.

Ranger glanced at the bartender, raising two fingers in the air, ordering a couple more drinks. The more alcohol the man had in his system, the easier it would be for Ranger to get him out of the club. And he hoped it would be soon. Jerry was working on his last nerve.

After three more drinks, and another hour of useless conversation, Jerry looked at Ranger's glass which was still full. "You're not a big drinker are you?"

"Just trying to pace myself," Ranger answered, watching Jerry sway on his feet. "How about we get out of here, go someplace more private?"

Jerry leaned into Ranger, his sour breath warm against his face. "I think that's a great idea. Let's go to your hotel room."

Ranger took Jerry's glass out of his hand and set it down on the bar. And then he guided Jerry through a small crowd and out the front door. He had to hold him up so that he wouldn't crumble to the floor. Ranger half dragged Jerry down the street to his car, his eyes scanning his surroundings, making sure there was no one around to witness his next move.

Ranger walked Jerry towards the back of the rental and reached into his jacket, pulling out a set of keys. Jerry turned in Ranger's arms, pushing his lips towards his face, trying to steal a kiss. But Ranger was done with role playing. He quickly swung Jerry's body back around, wrapping his large bicep around his neck, putting him in a chokehold.

"Okay, Gorgeous!" Jerry said, slurring his words. He placed his hands on Ranger's arm, tugging gently. "You like to play rough? Hell, I can get with that. But can we hold off on the freaky stuff until we get back to your hotel room?"

"Change of plans," Ranger said, applying just enough pressure to render Jerry unconscious, his body crumbling in his arms. Holding Jerry up with one arm, Ranger pushed a button on the key chain and popped the trunk, dumping Jerry inside. Then he angled into the car, started the engine, and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, dialing his informant's number. The man answered on the first ring.

"I got him," Ranger told the man. "Where do you want me to take him?"

Ranger listened as the informant gave him detailed instructions. He opened the glove compartment, pulling out a pen and pad, writing down the address and directions to the drop off site.

"I'm on my way," Ranger said before disconnecting the line.

Checking his rearview mirror, Ranger pulled from the curb onto the main street, making his way to the site where he'd hand over his target. He'd deliver his man, go back to the hotel and pack, and hopefully be on the next flight out of Mexico within a few hours. Ranger grabbed the disposable cell phone and called Tank.

"Yo," he said when Tank answered the phone. "I need the first available flight out of Mexico."

"Damn," Tank said. "You got your man already? You must be trying to break some kind of record?"

"Not trying to break any records. I had an easy capture this time around." Ranger didn't go into detail on how he captured his target. Tank would never let him live it down.

"I'm on my way to the delivery spot now," Ranger said. He could hear Tank typing information on the keyboard.

"There's a Delta flight leaving Mexico City at one a.m., arriving in Newark at eight a.m. tomorrow morning."

"Book it."

"You want me to pick you up?" Tank asked Ranger. "Or do you have other plans?"

"You can pick me up. Stephanie believes I'll be in Mexico for another week or so. I want to surprise her."

"Cool," Tank said, and disconnected the line.

Ranger turned onto a dark and isolated street and checked his rearview mirror, noticing the headlights of a lone car trailing behind him. He certainly didn't expect to be the only one out on the streets this time of night, but he'd been told that he would be traveling to a remote area. So his mind immediately shifted into high alert. Ranger turned into a vacant parking lot behind a dilapidated building. He'd found the drop off site with no problem. He parked the car and reached under the seat, pulling out a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun. The dark sedan that had been trailing him pulled into the lot, parking a couple spaces over. The windows of the sedan were covered in a dark tint, and it was also dark in the parking lot, so Ranger couldn't see who was in the car.

In the thirty-three years he'd been on the earth, Ranger had stared death in the face many times. And he'd killed to protect his life and the lives of others. But, he had not come to Mexico to kill anyone. And he damned sure had not come to Mexico to be killed. So when he stepped out of the car, shotgun in hand, he didn't hesitate pulling the trigger when two men jumped out of the dark sedan, guns aimed his way. And mayhem followed as gunfire rang out in the night, bullets piercing through flesh, creating a new kind of darkness.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Three

Stephanie opened her eyes to the sun peeking through Ranger's bedroom window. Her head was buried in his pillow and she inhaled deeply, taking in Ranger's scent, missing the firm planes of his body snuggled against her. The previous night, she'd decided to drive to the Bat Cave and indulge in Ranger's spa tub, and then she'd curled up in his bed and slept like a baby throughout the night. Stephanie had always enjoyed staying at Ranger's apartment, but she liked his private dwelling even more. Ranger's home was intimate and warm, and she felt his essence all over the house.

Stephanie glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was nine a.m. and she thought about getting up and starting her day. She had FTA's to hunt down and chapters to study for class. But at the moment, she didn't care about FTA's or school books. She just wanted to lie in Ranger's bed and relax. As her eyes grew heavy again, Stephanie decided her body could use at least one more hour of sleep. So she closed her eyes, hoping to drift into a peaceful slumber.

But the ringing of her cell phone quickly shut down Stephanie's plan of another hour of sleep. Any other time, Stephanie would have pulled the pillow over her head and ignored the damn thing. But she had no idea when she'd get a call from Ranger, and she didn't want to miss an opportunity to talk to him. Grabbing the phone off the nightstand, she glanced at the caller ID. Her stomach twisted into a knot as she read the name. Tank wasn't one to make early morning calls just to chitchat.

"Hey, Tank. What's up?" Stephanie asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

Tank sighed on the phone, and Stephanie's heart skipped a beat.

"Yo, Steph, have you heard from Ranger?"

"He called Tuesday night. Why?"

"What about today?" Tank asked. His voice held an urgency that Stephanie had never heard before.

"Tuesday night was the last time I talked to Ranger. Tank, what's going on?"

She heard Tank sigh again. "I'm at the Newark Airport. The flight Ranger was scheduled to be on showed up over an hour ago, but he wasn't on the plane."

A wave of confusion washed over Stephanie. When had Ranger made plans to come home? And why hadn't he called to let her know?

"Wait…I had no idea Ranger was on his way home."

"He wanted to surprise you, Steph," Tank explained. "He caught his man last night, and he was anxious to get home, so I booked him on a flight leaving Mexico at one a.m."

Stephanie's heart was pounding in her chest and she shot out of the bed, pacing the bedroom floor.

"Okay, so he missed his flight," she said, her voice a nervous tremor. "Maybe he caught a later flight out of Mexico." But Stephanie knew in her heart that wasn't true. Ranger would never change plans without first notifying Tank.

"I've been calling his cell phone every five minutes, he's not picking up. Something's wrong, Steph. I have a bad feeling about this."

Stephanie pulled in a breath and closed her eyes, bending at the waist as if in pain. She didn't want to hear what Tank was telling her. Ranger had to be okay.

"Stephanie, listen to me," Tank said evenly. "I need you to hold it together right now. I need your help,"

"Oh, God, Tank," Stephanie said in a weak voice. "He has to be okay."

Tank was silent. She could almost hear him entering his zone. In a calm, even voice, he said, "I need you to get on the computer and Google hospitals in Mexico City. Call them and see if anyone who matches Ranger's description has been admitted. I'm going to do some investigating on my end, see if Ranger even checked in at the airport in Mexico City. Stay by your phone. I'll call you back as soon as I know something, unless you call me first."

Stephanie was silent. She couldn't find the words to respond. Her vision was blurred with tears, and her knees were shaking so bad she could hardly stand.

"Stephanie. Go to the computer now," Tank ordered, trying to keep control of the situation.

The sternness of Tank's voice pulled Stephanie out of her trance, and she shuffled to Ranger's computer.

"Okay, Tank," she whispered, pushing the power button on the computer.

"Hang in there," he said in a more gentle tone. And then Tank disconnected the line.

****

He was cold.

That was the first thought that entered Ranger's mind when he opened his eyes. He was cold.

"Jesus H. Christ, kid!" Ranger heard someone say. The voice seemed to be far away. "I thought you'd never wake up."

Ranger turned his head in the direction of the voice, making out a blurry figure standing over him. He blinked rapidly a few times as the man came into sharper focus. Ranger opened his mouth, but quickly decided it was a bad idea. His throat was as dry and scratchy as sandpaper, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. Ranger's eyes scanned the room as sights and sounds began to slowly funnel through his head, stirring his senses. There was air shooting up his nose, and he could hear the steady beep of a machine.

"Can you hear me, kid?" The man's voice was too loud, and Ranger nodded his head slowly, closing his eyes again, searching for the peaceful darkness he'd just left. But the man kept talking.

"You've been in and out of consciousness for a few hours now. I thought you might be having some complications from the surgery, but the doctor said you'd be fine. The bullet pierced your spleen, put a nice big hole in it, but missed all the other vital organs."

The man barked out a laugh, full of phlegm. "Who the hell needs a spleen? What does that thing do, anyway?"

He pulled the blanket higher on Ranger's chest, covering his arms. And in a nurturing tone, he said, "They got a heavy narcotic and antibiotic pumping through your veins, so you shouldn't be feeling any pain right now."

Ranger opened his eyes, staring at the man above him, understanding for the first time that he was in a hospital bed. The oxygen flowing through his nostrils was irritating, drying out his throat. He looked down at the tubes taped to his arms, the source of the fluids running through his veins. Ranger opened his mouth to speak and a dry, hacking cough soon followed.

The talkative man pushed a plastic cup under Ranger's nose and spooned out a few ice chips. "Here," he said. "The ice will help sooth your throat."

Ranger opened his mouth, allowing the man to feed him the ice. The cold chips melted on his tongue and ran down his throat, coating his esophagus with liquid relief. The man forced another spoonful into Ranger's mouth and set the cup down.

Ranger stared at the man, fully taking in his appearance. Wearing an obvious disguise in the form of a bad hair piece, and thick eyeglasses that sat on the bridge of his nose, the man looked to be in his mid fifties. He was a couple inches shorter than Ranger and, judging by the condition of his skin, he'd probably been a life long connoisseur of hard liquor and cigarettes. And with his jogging suite and white, wing tip shoes, he could have been mistaken as a character from the _Soprano's_. Sylvio Dante meets Phil Leotardo. But there was also a familiarity in his voice that Ranger was not lucid enough to figure out yet.

The man sat down in a chair next to Ranger's bed. "Do you remember what happened?" he asked, as if he were talking to someone with a brain injury. And Ranger suddenly realized why the man's voice was so familiar. He'd been his informant for the last two years. He was the man who gave him all the background information on his targets, and he gave him instructions and directions to the drop off sites. Ranger had worked with the man on just about every assignment he'd been on, but he'd never seen his face. Ranger closed his eyes again, dazed from the pain killer. Bits and pieces of the prior night floated through his head, but he couldn't remember specific details.

"Damn, man!" the informant raved. "You stepped out of that car, gun blazing like the fuckin Terminator. Shit, you blew half the guy's head off before I ran out of the building. I knew there was going to be trouble when they pulled in behind you."

The man sat at the edge of his seat, reliving the shootout, as if he were recalling the details of a movie.

"The second guy got off a shot that hit you in the side. But he didn't see me step out of the building until it was too late. I put a bullet through his heart, dropped him on the spot."

Ranger looked at the man in surprise. "You were in the building when I pulled up?" He asked the informant, his voice a husky whisper.

"I'm always close by when you drop off a target, kid. I've been watching your back for the last two years."

"Who were they?" Ranger asked. "Why did they ambush me?"

"Word on the street is that our target had made some enemies here in Mexico. I guess we weren't the only one's looking for him. That guy was scum, I tell ya. And the goons following him last night probably had the same goal we did. But then you showed up, and they suddenly had an obstacle that had to be eliminated."

The informant shook his head in disbelief. "This is the first time we've dealt with a target that had _two_ death warrants over his head. I'm surprised he was able to hide as long as he did."

Ranger studied the man's face. Obviously, it had been a while since anything had gone wrong at a drop off site. The man seemed almost giddy while reminiscing about the gun fight. Ranger wondered how long the man had been with the organization, but he seriously doubted he'd get a truthful answer if he asked. The association was covert for a reason, and the less you knew, the better off you were.

"I got some guys out last night to clean up the _mess _andget rid of the cars. We don't leave dead bodies hanging around. Not good for business."

The narcotics running through Ranger's body was making it hard for him to focus on the man's words, and his eyelids began to grow heavy again. But he wanted to get as much information as he could before the man disappeared.

Ranger said, "What did you tell the police when you brought me to the hospital?"

"They think you were a victim of a robbery and carjacking. In their minds, you were a tourist who didn't know your way around town, and got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I'm just a nice guy that happened to be driving by and found you unconscious on the side of the road, not far from that gay bar. Got it?"

Ranger nodded his head in understanding, knowing what story to tell if he was questioned by the police.

"Of course," the informant continued. "The Mexican police are known to cover up any crimes that'll scare the tourist away, so I doubt they'll try to uncover too much information. Most likely, they'll buy you a ticket back to the United States and sweep the details under the rug."

Ranger put his hand up to his face, rubbing his cheeks, noticing the fake mustache and beard was gone.

"Yeah," the man said. "The police seemed a little perplexed about that. The nurse peeled them off before you went into surgery." The informant smiled at Ranger, his teeth stained from caffeine and cigarettes. "They think you were trying to hide your identity because of the gay bar thing, you know? So, you might want to run with that story if they press the issue."

Ranger nodded his head again; sleep creeping up on him like a thief in the night.

The informant stood to his feet, staring down at Ranger. "Listen, I gotta get going, kid. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I left. It's a shame things got crazy, but you still delivered your man. Your finder's fee will be wired to your account today."

The informant looked around the room. "You'll probably be here for a couple more days, is there someone I can call for you? You got family, right?"

Ranger had no desire to explain the situation to his family, so he rattled off what he hoped was Tank's number. His mind was slowly fading to black, but he knew his friend would be desperate to hear of his whereabouts. And he didn't even want to think about what Stephanie was going through. Tank had surely called her by now.

The informant pulled out a cell phone, heading towards the door. "I'll call him and let him know where you are, and that you're okay."

Ranger's eyes followed the man to the door. He tipped his chin towards the man in appreciation. The man gave Ranger a tight smile, one that didn't actually reach his eyes.

"Hey, kid. Take my advice. Get out of this business while you're young and healthy. You've been given a second chance at life…you know what I mean?"

Ranger closed his eyes, nodding his head. The man didn't have to tell him how lucky he was to be alive. He'd stared death in the face many times and had survived to tell the story, only to immerse himself in a different life threatening situation, over and over again. But this time, he'd make the right choice. He was done.

***

Stephanie disconnected the line with the third hospital she'd called in fifteen minutes. Each call had brought her no closer to finding Ranger. Between the language barrier and being transferred to several divisions of one hospital, she'd gotten nowhere fast. Stephanie's nerves were frayed and she wondered if Ranger had been checked into a hospital at all. Perhaps he was laying somewhere dead, his body cold and stiff.

Stephanie cradled her forehead in her hands and closed her eyes, trying to shut out all the haunting scenario's running through her head. She was only making things harder by thinking the worst. Lifting her head, she picked up her cell to dial another hospital, and the phone rang in her hand.

She pulled in a deep breath, answering the call in a breathless whisper. "Tank. Any word on Ranger?"

"I just got a strange call from a man who would not identify himself, but he told me Ranger gave him my number."

Stephanie held her breath as Tank continued. "Steph, I want you to stay calm, okay?"

"Tank, don't tell me to stay calm. Tell me what happened." Stephanie's hands were shaking.

"This guy told me that Ranger was shot last night. Allegedly, he was robbed and carjacked."

Stephanie gasped and put her hand over her mouth, bile creeping up her esophagus, threatening to emerge.

"He's okay, Steph," Tank quickly added. "The guy didn't give me details, but I think his story about a carjacking was complete bullshit. But there's no way of knowing the real story until we get it from Ranger."

"Did you talk to Ranger? Where is he?"

"He's at a hospital in Mexico City. I have the name and address, but the guy didn't give me a number to his room. He said a surgeon removed the bullet, along with Ranger's spleen, and he's been in and out of consciousness for the last few hours. Where are you now?"

Stephanie looked around Ranger's bedroom, as if trying to remember where she was.

"I'm at Ranger's house."

"You got a passport, right?"

"Yes," Stephanie answered. Ranger had talked her into getting a passport last year, explaining that a bounty hunter should always keep an updated passport on hand.

"Here's the plan," Tank explained. "I'm going to have Hal pick you up and drop you by your apartment to pack a few things. Then he'll drop you off at Newark Airport to meet me. We'll get a flight out to Mexico this afternoon, even if we have to fly standby."

Stephanie nodded her head as if Tank could see her, but she couldn't speak. It was all too much right now.

"Hal should be there in a half hour," Tank said. And he disconnected the line.

Tank was stressed, too. And Stephanie couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through his mind. Tank was Ranger's protector, and there was absolutely nothing he could have done to protect him in Mexico. But Tank was also trained to operate under pressure, and Stephanie was relieved to have him take charge of the situation. She was also comforted in the fact that Ranger's men always looked out for her, even in his absence.

Stephanie stood from the chair, swaying on her feet. She was lightheaded and nauseated, and she was trying hard not to pass out. Collapsing in the chair, she put her head between her knees, breathing deep until the feeling passed. Then she stood up again, trying to convince herself that she could tackle the next few days without losing her mind.

***

After an eight hour flight, plus a trip through customs and baggage claim, Tank and Stephanie walked out of the Mexico City International Airport at exactly nine-forty five p.m. The night air was warm and thick with humidity, and Stephanie was mentally and physically exhausted. But if Tank was feeling the same way, he hadn't shown it yet. Before they'd left New Jersey, Tank had obtained the phone number to Ranger's hospital room, only to be told when he called that Ranger was sleeping. Tank had left message with the nurse, asking her to let Ranger know that his _family_ was on their way. She'd promised to relay the message as soon as Ranger was awake.

Once outside the terminal, Tank told Stephanie, "Stay here. I'll go get the rental car."

Stephanie did as she was told, sitting on a concrete bench in front of the terminal, two carry-on bags at her feet. Her stomach was tied in knots, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she didn't feel hungry. Even though it had been hours since she'd last had a bite of food. Tank had treated her to lunch before they left New Jersey, and he offered to buy her dinner before heading to the hospital, but she politely declined. She wouldn't be able to eat another bite until she knew Ranger was really okay.

Twenty minutes after he'd left, Tank pulled up in a silver, Toyota Camry. Stepping out of the car, he placed their bags in the trunk and held the passenger side door open for Stephanie. After he'd pulled from the curb into traffic, Stephanie looked at Tank. His eyes were alert and his mouth was set in a grimace. One he'd worn most of the day.

"How are you doing?" Stephanie asked Tank. "Are you hanging in there?"

Tank gave Stephanie a side glance, and his face softened a bit. "I'm cool. I guess I have no choice but to hang in there."

"You and Ranger are really good at hiding your emotions."

"It does no good to wallow in unproductive emotions when you have no control over a situation."

Stephanie smiled. Tank was sounding a lot like Ranger.

After a few minutes of silence, Stephanie said, "I don't know how to do this, Tank. I don't know how to be the kind of girlfriend that can get used to this type of stress."

Tank looked at Stephanie for what seemed like a full minute before turning his eyes back to the road.

"I don't think you'll have to be that kind of girlfriend for much longer. I've known Ranger a long time, and I've never seen him give a woman the kind of liberties he's given you."

Tank pulled in a deep breath, and Stephanie could tell that he was struggling with how much more he should say without betraying Ranger's trust in him.

"Look," he finally said. "Ranger loves you, Steph, and he's been talking about changing his life for you. He really wants to make this relationship work. So you might want to give him the opportunity to prove that he's really willing to change. I don't think he'll let you down."

Stephanie was blown away. Tank rarely spoke more than a few words at a time. Now, here he was giving relationship advice.

"Okay. Thanks for sharing," Stephanie said, not sure of what else to say. "I've never loved anyone like I love Ranger."

Tank put a small smile on his face. "You're a good fit for Ranger, and he knows it. But…we never had this conversation, okay?"

"Secret's safe with me," Stephanie said.

Visiting hours at Centro Medico Tiber had been over for a while. But Tank had informed the nurse that he and another family member would be traveling from the United States, and they wouldn't be arriving until late evening. And she'd kindly given him the okay.

After checking in on the first floor, Tank and Stephanie were instructed to take an elevator to the trauma unit, which was on the seventh floor. They stepped off the elevator into an area that looked like it had just been recently renovated, the smell of fresh paint and carpet filling the air. The black and white, square tiles on the floor were waxed to a shiny perfection, and the chairs were stain free, covered in a hunter green material. There was a tall plant next to a double wooden door, leading them into another dimly lit waiting area with a nurse sitting behind a desk.

"Can I help you?" the chubby cheeked nurse asked in broken English, recognizing her guest were probably the American visitors.

"We are looking for Antonio Cruz's room, please," Tank said. And Stephanie looked at him with wide eyes, a perplexed expression covering her face.

"He uses an alias when on assignment," Tank whispered in Stephanie's ear as the nurse studied the list of patients.

Stephanie nodded her head in understanding, wondering how many passports Ranger owned under fake names.

"You are the traveling visitors for Mr. Cruz, yes?" The nurse asked.

"Yes," Tank answered softly.

"The nurse stood, pointing a chubby finger down the hall. "Go down hall, he's fourth door on right. Few minutes, okay?" The nurse's English was pretty good, considering.

Tank and Stephanie walked down the quiet hall, stopping at room 237. Tank turned to Stephanie, and in a quiet voice he said, "Are you going to be okay?"

Stephanie gave tank a sincere smile, tears pooling in her eyes. "I'm just glad we're finally here." She swiped at a tear that had escaped down her cheek.

Tank put his hand on Stephanie's shoulder, giving her a light squeeze. "Let's go in."

The room was dark, save for a single, dimly lit light over the bed. Ranger was sleeping peacefully. Stephanie and Tanked walked to the side of his bed, glancing at the IV's taped to his arm, keeping him in a pain free siesta. The sound of the heart monitor beeped steadily in the quiet room, confirming that Ranger was alive and recovering. Stephanie leaned over Ranger and kissed him lightly on the lips, her nose brushing the plastic tube pumping oxygen through his nose. Stephanie studied Ranger's face, dark stubble protruding from the surface of his skin. There were white flecks of something sticky around his jaw line and upper lip.

"Looks like remnants of some type of adhesive," Tank said, looking down at his friend. "Fake mustache and beard. I've had to wear them; the glue's a mother to get off."

Stephanie disappeared into the bathroom, coming out a few seconds later with a hand towel soaked with warm water and soap. She gently wiped Rangers face, pressing the warm towel over his skin, removing the remains of the glue. Tank stood with his arms across his chest, an amused smile on his face, watching her work.

Ranger stirred under her touch, pulling his head away from the wet towel. He opened his eyes at half mass, staring at Stephanie standing over him, towel in hand.

"I can't get a good night kiss with all that sticky junk on your face," she said quietly, a small smile on her face.

Ranger's lips turned up into a drug induced smile, his eyes glazed over.

"Babe," he droned, closing his eyes, falling into a satisfied slumber.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Four

Visiting hours at Centro Medico Tiber began at eight a.m., and Stephanie and Tank walked into Ranger's room at eight fifteen. Stephanie held a bag full of bagels and cream cheese in her hand, and Tank was carrying an overnight bag holding Ranger's clothes and toiletries. Ranger was propped up in bed, his face an exhibit of restlessness and agitation. He was clearly ready to get the hell out of dodge. The oxygen tube had been removed from his nose, but an IV was still connected to his arm, pushing a slow and steady stream of antibiotics and saline through his veins.

Stephanie walked to the side of Ranger's bed wearing a relieved smile. "Wow! I didn't think you'd be sitting up. You were really out of it last night."

Ranger's face softened, and he returned Stephanie's smile. "I woke up this morning with drool all over my pillow, so I asked the doctor to cut _way_ back on the pain medication."

"You definitely look a lot better than you did yesterday," Tank added, placing the bag of clothes in a corner by the bathroom.

Stephanie kissed Ranger's lips and pressed her cheek against his face. His five o'clock shadow had grown into course stubble, stinging her skin.

"You need a shave."

"What, you don't like the caveman look?" he asked softly, inhaling Stephanie's scent.

She lifted her head and studied Ranger's face intently. "How's the pain?"

"I'll manage for now. When are we leaving?"

Stephanie and Tank went completely still, frozen in time. The both stared at Ranger in surprise, as if he'd just grown two heads right in front of them.

"Dude," Tank said incredulously. "Are you serious?"

Keeping her eyes locked on Ranger, Stephanie said, "The doctor said you'd be here at least a couple more days. He wants to make sure you don't get an infection."

Ranger pulled in a deep, frustrated breath, grimacing at the pain it caused. "I have a company to run," he said through clenched teeth. "And I can't do much from a hospital bed in Mexico."

"Stop stressing, Ranger" Tank said calmly. "Everything's under control at Rangeman. Staff is in place, and Lester will hold down the fort for a couple of days."

Stephanie watched as Ranger struggled with Tanks words. Ranger was a control freak; he didn't like being incapacitated so far from home. She knew it was killing him to have such limited control over his situation.

"Try to rest, Ranger," Stephanie pleaded. "Tank has been on the phone all morning, taking care of business. The company will continue to run, whether you're there or not."

"I know the company can function without me," Ranger said, his tone softening. "I just hate being laid up like this."

And then he looked at Tank, explaining apologetically, "I know you have things under control. But I'd feel better if you were back in Trenton managing things."

Tank shook his head slowly. "I'm not leaving you and Stephanie unaided here in Mexico. Someone tried to kill you, and I don't have a clue as to what the hell happened. But I damn sure don't believe it was a carjacking. So, I'm here until you're discharged and on a plane back to Trenton."

There was finality in Tank's tone that put an end to any further discussion on the matter. And Ranger was clearly not happy with his rebuttal. He stared at Tank in disbelief, knowing if the circumstance was different, Tank wouldn't be so quick to throw his weight around. But, Ranger also understood that his friend was worried about his safety. Tank was in protection mode and he probably wouldn't waver on his decision. Truth be told, if he were in Tank's shoes, he'd react in the same way.

"Let's eat," Stephanie said, trying to ease the tension in the room. She opened the bag and pulled out a bagel and a small, round tub of cream cheese. Tank pulled up a chair and sat down without another word. And Stephanie decided to use the silence to her advantage. The man she loved had a bullet hole in his side, and she wanted to know why.

"Who shot you, Ranger?" she asked quietly, pulling a roll-away table up to the bed. She spread a light layer of cream cheese on a bagel and placed it on a napkin.

Ranger leaned back into the pillows stacked behind his head and stared at the ceiling, recalling the surprise attack. Without the mind-numbing pain medication, he could clearly remember the details of that fateful night.

"Apparently, the guy I was hunting had made some enemies here in Mexico, so it seems I wasn't the only one looking for him. On the night of the shooting, I'd waited for hours in front of a night club, hoping the target would appear. And when he finally showed up I went in to get him. The two goons that ambushed me must have watched us walk out of the club together, and they followed me to the drop off site. Shit rolled downhill from there."

Tank seemed perplexed with Ranger's story, and he raised his eyebrows in question.

"If there were two guys watching him all night, why didn't they go into the club to get their man like you did? Why wait for him to walk out with someone else?"

Stephanie wondered the same thing, but she remained silent, patiently waiting for Ranger's answer.

"Gay club," Ranger said, as if that explained everything. "I guess they were trying to wait him out. But I don't think they were expecting to see him come out of the club with me. And when I threw him in the trunk they probably didn't know what the hell to think. I became an obstacle that had to be eliminated."

"How the heck did you convince the guy to leave with you?" Stephanie asked.

Ranger was silent as he watched Stephanie and Tank fill in the blanks on their own.

"Dude," Tank said, trying hard not to laugh.

Stephanie looked at Tank and then turned back to Ranger, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, my God! There's only one way you could have talked that guy into leaving the club with you."

Stephanie threw her head back and let out a bark of laughter. She could hear Tank chuckling softly behind her. "What exactly did you promise him?" she asked Ranger.

"Those details are irrelevant," Ranger said. He was in too much pain to laugh.

"My goal was to get him out of the club without a struggle, and that's what I did."

"So, the two guys had to go through you to get to the target," Tank said, continuing the story for Ranger. He wasn't too keen on hearing the explicit details of Ranger's night in a gay bar.

"Yes. When I disconnected the call with you, I noticed that I was being followed. By the time I pulled into the vacant parking lot I knew something was wrong. I jumped out of the car with a sawed-off shotgun in my hand."

The humor melted away from Stephanie's face, and the reality of Ranger's life threatening predicament started sinking in as he described the waylay.

"I got one guy in the head, but I wasn't quick enough to get the second guy. If my informant hadn't been watching the scene unfold from a vacant building, I'd be returning to Trenton in a body bag."

Tank and Stephanie were quiet for a beat, absorbing the reality of Ranger's words.

Tank asked, "So your informant killed the second man?"

"Yes. And then he brought me to the hospital."

"And he was the one who called me?"

"Yes," Ranger answered. "He gave you the same story he told the police. The organization has to protect its employees, so I'm sure he'd concocted the story before we even reached the hospital."

"What about the target?" Stephanie asked in a small voice. "What happened to him?"

Ranger looked at Stephanie, noticing her eyes were wet with tears. He held her gaze for a few seconds, his face showing what words could not convey. _I'm sorry for putting you through this._

"The target was unconscious in the trunk the whole time," he said to Stephanie. "And, I delivered my man."

"And you were nearly killed doing it." Stephanie said, her voice quivering.

"I'm okay, Babe. I've been in worse situations and made it through."

Stephanie studied Ranger's face, wondering if he even realized how lucky he was to escape death, yet again. "I think you've used up about eight of your nine lives, Ranger."

Ranger closed his eyes, thinking about Stephanie's words. Fatigue, combined with the increasing pain in his side, reminded him that she was right. The finder's fee that had been transferred to his bank account would have been a nice cushion, providing just enough money for an elaborate funeral if he'd been killed. Ranger was used to making risky choices based on money. But he would have to give up the role of mercenary, period. There was no way he could continue that type of lifestyle and survive. And there was too much at stake now.

Tank cleared his throat, standing to his feet. "I'm going to find a nurse. I can tell you are ready for another hit of pain medication."

He stepped out of the room, giving Stephanie and Ranger some time alone to talk. Stephanie pulled up a chair next to Ranger's bed and sat down, trying to reign in her emotions.

After a few minutes of silent pondering, Ranger said, "I know you're upset, Stephanie. And I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"You were ambushed, Ranger. I don't blame you for getting shot. Out of curiosity, why weren't you wearing a Kevlar?"

"Didn't match my outfit."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I'm serious! That's not like you."

Ranger pulled in a deep breath, wincing at the pain. "I had to go into the club under the guise of being a gay man. There was no way I could get through the door wearing a Kevlar vest. Besides, my job was to get the guy plastered enough to leave the club with me. I wasn't anticipating a gun battle."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow, an amused look spreading across her face. "I can't even imagine how you pulled off the gay man role. Is that why you had on a fake mustache and beard?"

Ranger nodded his head slowly. "The facial hair was part of my disguise."

Stephanie smiled wide. "Tight pants? Muscle shirt?"

The corners of Ranger's mouth turned up a fraction of an inch. "The guy was foaming at the mouth. You'll have to help me erase all the bad memories from my head."

"You'll have to take it easy so your body can heal," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. Sex is the last thing you should be thinking about."

Ranger reached for a cup and Stephanie stood quickly to assist. She poured water into a plastic cup and passed it to Ranger.

"You're not eating your bagel."

"I'm not hungry," Ranger said behind a swallow of water. "Maybe later."

They were quiet as Ranger took a couple more of sips of water. He set the cup down on the roll-away table, studying Stephanie's face, taking in the puffiness under her eyes. Her hair was pulled into a loose, pony tail, and she was wearing a fitted, scoop necked T-shirt with low-rise jeans and sneakers.

"Are you really okay, Babe?"

"I am now. But I was a wreck yesterday. The last twenty-four hours have been draining."

Stephanie could feel Ranger's eyes on her as she tried to avoid his gaze. She looked down at the floor, staring at the tiles as if they held the answer to an age old secret.

Blowing out a heavy sigh, she said, "I love you so much, Ranger, but I can't get used to this kind of scene."

Ranger was silent, waiting for Stephanie to look up from the floor. Finally she looked into his eyes, expecting the other shoe to drop. But Ranger had already made his decision. "I'm done, Stephanie. I'm not even going to finish out the contract."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes, mulling over Ranger's words. "Is this what you really want to do? Or are you quitting because you think that's what I want? You told me that you always finish what you start."

Ranger thought about Stephanie's question for a beat. True enough, he'd told Stephanie that he was going to finish out his contract, and then move on. But now that he was lying in a hospital bed with a bullet hole in his body, he had a whole new point of view. He said, "I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life, and I really want you to be a part of it."

"And I want you to be happy," Stephanie said. "Are you really going to be happy once you give up this part of your life?"

"Babe, this job doesn't make me happy; it just enhances my financial outlook. _You_ make me happy."

Stephanie stood to her feet and sidled up to the side of Ranger's bed, pushing the table out of her way. She leaned over him, and he cradled the back of her neck with his hand, pulling her head down to his level. Moving his mouth against her lips, he said, "You already know how much I love you, Stephanie; I need you in my life. I don't want to lose you."

Stephanie kissed a trail across Ranger's stubbly face and snuggled her nose into his neck, just below his ear. "Well, since you put it that way, I guess I'll stick around for a while."

And then the door suddenly opened, interrupting the love fest. Tank ambled into the room followed by a young woman dressed in white, holding a syringe full of a liquid narcotic.

The nurse was slim and pretty, silky brown hair pulled into a bun, resting against the back of her neck. She said a few words to Ranger in Spanish, and Ranger looked at Tank.

"Dude, she has to shoot me in the ass."

"I'll go grab some coffee," Tank said, heading towards the door. He had no desire to see Ranger's ass. The nurse stood by the side of Ranger's bed, staring attentively at Stephanie, waiting for her to leave the room.

"I'm staying," Stephanie said to the nurse. I've already seen his ass, and it's very nice."

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Five

Sunday morning found Ranger preparing for a trip home. After four days in the hospital, he was finally being discharged. Stephanie sat in a chair by the empty hospital bed, reading a chapter of her text book while Ranger showered and shaved. She'd gotten through most of the reading assignment before Ranger ambled out of the bathroom, carrying a damp towel in his hand. He'd pulled on a pair of black jeans and his chest was bare, showing evidence of the shooting. His hair had grown an inch or so in the time he'd been in Mexico, and water dripped off the silky, dark strands, creating a wet trail down his neck. Despite the exhaustion in his eyes and the slow movement of his gait, he was still sexy.

"Ahh…the wonders of a razor," Stephanie said, standing to her feet. She walked up to Ranger and caressed his cheek. "It's nice to see your face again."

A mischievous smile creased Ranger's face. "There's a lot more of me to see. I can show you."

Ranger was definitely feeling better, and his suggestive attitude was in full swing again. Grabbing the towel from his hand, Stephanie ran it through his hair, rubbing at the damp strands around his neck. Ranger rested his hands on her hips, his tired eyes holding her gaze as she towel-dried his hair. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Stephanie lowered her gaze to Ranger's chest. Her hands fell lazily from his hair, the towel slipping from her fingers. Her eyes traveled along the length of the incision, which must have been about seven inches long, starting at the top of his belly button, running up to where the diaphragm hid beneath his ribs.

Horizontal stitching neatly lined the incision, keeping the skin closed for healing.

Stephanie guessed the incision had been made to remove the spleen. A few inches to the left of the stitched-up incision, just above his stomach, there was a small round wound held together by a few stitches. That injury marked the spot where the bullet had penetrated Ranger's body.

The scars marking Ranger's body would be a constant reminder of how lucky he was to be alive.

Stephanie softly traced a finger down the row of stitches on Ranger's chest, her hand coming to rest on his belt buckle. She asked him, "Does it still hurt?"

"The pain's not unbearable, but I'll be sore for a while."

Water pooled in Stephanie's eyes and she tried to blink away the tears. Ranger shook his head slowly, cupping her face in his hands. "Babe, please don't do that."

Wrapping her arms around Ranger's neck, Stephanie said, "I came so close to losing you."

"A new chapter, remember?" Ranger reminded Stephanie. "Let's not dwell in the past."

Stephanie was amazed at Ranger's dismissive attitude. Had he already put a four-day-old shooting behind him? Was it really that easy for him to file away a traumatic experience and move on?

"Are you pretending to be handling this well for my sake," she asked. "Or are you so emotionally numb that nothing gets to you anymore?"

Ranger looked at Stephanie for a few seconds, and with a hint of a smile on his face, he said, "My defense mechanism is wired for survival. If I allowed myself to be emotionally burdened with every traumatic experience I've seen or been through, I would be in an insane asylum."

"Aren't you even the slightest bit nervous about the ramifications of that night? You and your informant killed two men. I know it was in self defense, but what if there were more people involved? What if they come after you?"

Ranger shook his head. "I entered Mexico under a false passport, plus I was wearing a disguise the night of the shooting. The two witnesses who could have passed on information about me are dead; their bodies have been disposed of. And the car I was driving was rented by the organization under a bogus name. So, my identity here in Mexico is untraceable."

"Well, okay. I guess that's a relief, but what about the organization you work for? What will they do if you don't finish your contract?"

"The time left on my contract would only get them one more assignment, if that. Seeing as how I almost got killed completing _this_ assignment, I'm sure they'll give me a pass."

Stephanie blew out a sigh. "I know I'm being paranoid, but…"

"You have good reason to be paranoid," Ranger interrupted. "I understand your concern, but we're not talking about the Mafia, Babe. I didn't sign up for a life long membership into this organization. I'm sure they can find someone else to finish out my contract."

There was a knock on the door, and the chubby cheeked nurse peeked into the room.

"I dress your wounds, Mr. Cruz?"

"Yes, that's fine," Ranger said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

The nurse shuffled into the room transporting a tray full of gauze and tape to cover up Ranger's wounds. She glanced at Stephanie and smiled. "You take care of Mr. Cruz in United States?"

Stephanie nodded her head. "Yes, I'll be helping him out when we get home."

Ranger looked at Stephanie, giving her a reassuring smile as the nurse covered his stitches with a fresh layer of gauze.

"This is very good," said the nurse in broken English, placing surgical tape over the soft cotton. "Less chance of infection if you keep covered."

"Got it," Stephanie said, giving the nurse the thumbs up sign. She studied the woman's ministrations, pretending she had no clue on how to clean and cover a wound with cotton. The chunky woman took her time, probably enjoying the view of Ranger's smooth, dark skin and broad chest. Stephanie was also enjoying the view, and she wondered how long it would be before Ranger was cleared for _physical exertion_. Of course, Ranger would not wait for a doctor to give him the okay to have sex. He'd make that decision on his own.

Ranger looked at Stephanie naughtily, as if reading her mind. The temperature seemed to shoot up twenty degrees in the room and Stephanie felt sweat beading across her forehead.

"I'm going to pack up your toiletries," Stephanie said, looking for a reason to get out of Ranger's line of sight. She disappeared into the bathroom and started clearing his things off the counter, placing them in the overnight bag. Tank had left the hospital a short time ago; heading to the hotel where Ranger had been staying to collect his personal belongings, and Stephanie thought it would be a good idea to have Ranger packed and ready to go by the time Tank made it back to the hospital.

Stephanie walked out of the bathroom with Ranger's packed bag over her shoulder. The nurse had been replaced with a slim, Hispanic man who looked to be in his mid fifties, with a head full of salt and pepper hair. He was wearing a white lab coat, a stethoscope around his neck, and a name tag that read, Doctor Emilio Rodriquez. He was giving Ranger instructions in Spanish while holding a small stack of papers to be signed. Doctor Rodriquez stopped talking when he noticed Stephanie. He nodded and smiled, giving her a cheery "Hola" before turning his attention back to Ranger.

After signing off on various medical release forms and instructions, Ranger shook the doctor's hand, saying something in Spanish that ended in "Gracias." Stephanie assumed Ranger was thanking the man for his service. She made a mental note to learn basic Spanish since her boyfriend was fluent in the language. Doctor Rodriquez waved goodbye to Stephanie and she gave him a finger wave as he left the room.

"It's official. I've been discharged," Ranger said, pulling a black T-shirt over his head in a listless manner. Stephanie set the bag on the floor and tried to assist him, but he waved her away. "I'm fine, Babe."

"Well, okay. I just don't want you to bust your stitches."

Ranger gave Stephanie a small smile. "It would take more than a change of clothes to bust these stitches."

Looking at Ranger dressed in all black, Stephanie felt a twinge of relief. This was the Ranger she was used to seeing. She didn't like seeing him in a hospital bed, with oxygen and tubes attached to his body.

"Babe," Ranger said. "I know that look. You want me bad."

Stephanie rolled her eyes dramatically, but the smile on her face gave her away. Ranger was right. "Actually, I was thinking that I'm really going to miss your ass hanging out of a hospital gown," Stephanie lied. "That was really sexy."

"Yeah, right," Ranger said, grabbing Stephanie's text book out of the chair. He bent over slowly and picked up his overnight bag off the floor, placing the book inside. Stephanie took the bag from Ranger, slinging it over her shoulder.

"I'll carry the bag."

"Babe, I can carry a bag. I'm not paralyzed."

Before Stephanie could open her mouth to argue, the door opened and Tank rolled a wheelchair into the room. He looked at Ranger and said, "Now that's what I'm talking about. The Boss is back in action."

Ranger looked at the wheelchair with a raised eyebrow. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Hospital rules," Tank said. "I have to roll you out."

Ranger shook his head. "Not a chance."

Come on, man. Let's roll up out of here."

"Not happening. There's nothing wrong with my legs."

"Ranger."

"No."

"Look, we can't do this all day. Would you sit it this chair so we can go."

"Go to hell."

Stephanie watched the exchange between the two men, amused with the display. She knew Tank was messing with Ranger's mind. And he was trying to maintain a serious demeanor while doing it. There was no way in hell Tank was rolling Ranger out of the hospital in a wheelchair.

Tank blew out a bogus, exasperated sigh. "Stephanie, would you do something with him. He's as stubborn as a mule."

Stifling a laugh, Stephanie planted her ass in the wheelchair, setting Ranger's bag on her lap. "Let's roll!"

***

Tank pulled into Ranger's driveway a few minutes past ten p.m. The flight from Mexico had been long and Ranger had slept most of the way, his body trying to adjust to the absence of its spleen. The doctor told him that he'd be operating at full speed within four to six weeks, only if he finished his antibiotic treatment, maintained a healthy diet, and obtained enough rest. Without a spleen, Ranger's body would be more vulnerable to infection. So Stephanie hoped he would adjust his schedule to include enough rest to heal.

Ranger watched as Tank and Stephanie moved bags from the car to the house. And he was irritated that he couldn't lend a hand. But he was outnumbered and too tired to argue. After unloading the last bag, Stephanie gave Tank a hug and scuttled off to carry the luggage up to Ranger's room. Tank and Ranger shared an intricate, warm hand shake, a silent display of brotherly love.

Ranger said, "You know you're in my will, right?"

Tank shrugged. "Friends look out for one another."

"Well, you took care of Stephanie, too. I appreciate that."

"Stephanie's a good girl," Tank said to Ranger. "Don't screw up this relationship."

Ranger nodded his head in agreement. "I'm not going anywhere. She's stuck with me."

"I'll be at the office tomorrow at ten a.m.," Tank said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I'll drop by the office tomorrow to pick up some files and mail, but I'm going to take it easy for a few days. I'll probably jump back into a full schedule next week."

"Take all the time you need. I know where to find you."

They did another hand shake and Tank was gone.

Monday morning arrived way too soon. Stephanie opened her eyes to find an empty spot where Ranger's body had warmed the sheets. Lifting her head off the pillow, she listened for the flush of a toilet or running water, hoping he was on his way back to bed. Last night, they had fallen into a deep slumber before their heads even hit the pillow. Now all she wanted to do was lie next to Ranger and cuddle for another hour or so.

Stephanie could hear Ranger talking in the bathroom. His voice was low and she pulled herself up into a sitting position in the bed, trying to hear what he was saying. It was a nosy thing to do, but if Ranger wanted privacy, he would have made the call in another room.

"Mama, I'm alright. Please calm down," Ranger said quietly. "Yes, my spleen was removed, but nothing else…I'm fine."

After a few seconds of silence, he responded, "Tell Papa and Grandmother not to worry…"

"…Papa? Yes, I'm fine. Please tell Mama to stop crying. She needs to calm down."

Ranger was silent for a few more seconds, obviously listening to his father speak.

"That's not necessary. I can take care of myself…Yes, I'm going to rest. Yes, Stephanie's here and I'll be fine."

Stephanie wondered when Ranger had told his parents about their relationship. They'd only been in a steady relationship for three weeks, yet he'd mentioned her by name. Perhaps they knew more about her than she knew about them.

"…Look, I'll call you all later, okay," Stephanie heard Ranger say to his father. "Love you, too, Papa."

He walked out of the bathroom with a pained look on his face, silk boxers hanging low on his hips.

"Are you okay?"

Ranger pulled in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "Sorry, I was trying not to wake you."

"Don't worry about me," Stephanie said. "I overheard the conversation. Sounds like they took the news pretty hard."

Ranger sat down on the edge of the bed and wiped a hand across his face. "Sometimes it's easy to hurt the people you love, even if it's unintentional."

Stephanie scooted close to Ranger, pressing her chest up against his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Parents don't want to live with the fear that their children will precede them in death," she said quietly. "Did you tell them everything?"

"I told them that I was shot while trying to make a capture. It wasn't a lie, just wasn't the whole truth."

"So they think you got shot while bounty hunting."

"Yes. I'm not going to tell them what I was really doing in Mexico. I've disappointed them enough."

"Stephanie kissed Ranger on the back of his neck. "You own your own company. I'm sure they're proud of your accomplishments."

"Yeah, they're both proud of my entrepreneurial success."

"And they've accepted that they have a son who loves the thrill of a chase?"

"They have no choice. I've always been the problem child, the one they have to worry about the most."

"Parent's are supposed to worry. I drive my mother crazy."

Ranger was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Probably one day our kids will make us crazy, too."

"Probably we should lie to our kids," Stephanie said. "We'll tell them we were high school teachers or something."

Ranger smiled wide. "You know we'll have to leave New Jersey to start a family, right? There's no way we can raise children near the Burg and get away with that lie. We're and infamous pair."

Stephanie chuckled at the thought. "How pathetic, we're actually having a discussion about running away from our past when we start a family. Are we ready to be parents, or what?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Ranger said, "Yeah, we'll write a book. _The Bounty Hunter's Guide to Perfect Parenting_."

Ranger positioned his body so that he was face-to-face with Stephanie. "While we're on the subject of parenting, did you find a birth control you're comfortable with?"

Stephanie raised an eyebrow at Ranger. "What, all this talk about family scaring the hell out of you?"

Ranger pushed his lips against Stephanie's mouth, running his tongue along the soft skin of her lips. Gently pushing her down on the bed, he carefully maneuvered his body over hers.

"I haven't made love to you in three weeks."

"I'm covered, but, what about your stitches? Are you up for this kind of action so soon?"

Pushing his hand under Stephanie's tank top, Ranger cupped her breast and stroked her nipple. And the nub hardened under his fingertips. "You'll have to be gentle with me," he teased.

Stephanie gasped at the sensation, tugging at Ranger's head, pulling him down to meet her lips again. She kissed him hard and deep, sucking his tongue into her mouth. His hand moved down her body, pushing beneath the waist band of her cotton shorts. Ranger massaged Stephanie's center as his tongue stroked her mouth, and she moaned in pleasure, her hips rocking in a steady rhythm.

And then the door bell chimed throughout the house, followed by Ranger's cell phone.

"The hell?" Ranger said, pulling his hand out of Stephanie's shorts. The door bell chimed again and the cell phone continued to ring. Ranger answered on the fourth ring, his voice full of irritation.

"Yo."

Listening to the person on the other end, Ranger climbed off the bed. "Give me a couple of minutes," he said. "I'll be right down."

Stephanie looked at the engorged bulge in Ranger's silk boxers and wondered about the couple of minutes. He disconnected the line and looked at Stephanie apologetically.

"Get dressed. My parents are at the door."

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Six

It took Stephanie exactly twenty minutes to shower, blow dry her hair, and pull on a pair of designer jeans with a purple knit top. She swiped a layer of mascara on her lashes and covered her lips with a rose tinted gloss. Ranger had quickly pulled on a pair of running pants and a T-shirt and headed downstairs to greet his parents, giving Stephanie enough time to pull herself together. And by the time she made it downstairs, Ranger and his parents were settled in the kitchen, sipping coffee.

Stephanie strolled into the kitchen with a smile on her face, and the Manoso's stood simultaneously to greet her, grinning from ear to ear.

"There she is," Mr. Manoso said, opening his arms wide. "Come here and give me a hug."

Mr. Manoso was a taller, heavier version of Ranger; they shared the same dark eyes, smooth skin, and megawatt smile. His dark brown hair was cut short with a light dusting of gray, and he was very attractive. Stephanie thought the man could have easily been mistaken for an older brother of Jimmy Smits, and it was evident that he had once carried the same muscular build as his son. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans with a button down, blue shirt, and black loafers.

Stephanie walked into the man's outstretched arms and embraced him. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Manoso."

"Call me Ernesto," he said, giving Stephanie a tight squeeze. He turned to his wife, placing his hand on her shoulder. "This is Armena. She's the glue that holds our family together."

Armena Manoso wrapped her arms around Stephanie and gave her a warm hug. The calming scent of lavender and honey filled Stephanie's nostrils and she instantly relaxed into the woman's embrace.

"Stephanie," she said, pulling back and studying Stephanie's face. "I've heard so much about you. And my son was right, you are a beauty."

Coming from Ranger's mother, that was definitely a compliment. Mrs. Manoso was a petite woman, no more than 5-foot-three with an olive skin tone. She had long black hair, brushing against her back, with just a touch of gray around the hairline. Her hazel eyes searched Stephanie's face inquisitively, checking her out. The age lines around her eyes and mouth put her in the mid-fifties range. She was wearing a white blouse with a ruffled collar, brown slacks, and brown pumps on her dainty feet.

Stephanie smiled at Armena and said, "Thank you. Ranger failed to tell me how beautiful you were." Armena blushed and smiled at the compliment.

Ernesto nodded his head, rubbing his wife's shoulder. "She's still a fox," he said in a Cuban accent that was much thicker than Ranger's. "I scooped her up right after she graduated from high school. From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was going to be the mother of my children."

Armena blushed again and lightly smacked Ernesto's arm. "The kids don't want to hear all that."

Sitting down on a stool, Armena patted the one next to her. "Sit, Stephanie. Let's talk about you. It's been a long time since Carlos has had a steady girlfriend. You must be special." Then she looked at Ranger, obviously pleased that there was finally someone special in his life.

"What's it been, Carlos, five, six years?" Ernesto inquired.

Stephanie glanced at Ranger, eyebrows raised in question. He was leaning against the counter with a coffee cup in his hand, watching the scene unfold. He hadn't said a word since Stephanie walked into the room, but the look on his face held a hint of amusement. He held up five fingers, taking a sip of coffee.

"That's right," said Armena, agreeing with Ranger's silent answer. "Five years ago, Carlos introduced us to a nice young lady, not as pretty as you, Stephanie, but attractive nevertheless."

"I didn't think she was pretty at all," Ernesto admitted. He looked at Ranger knowingly. "There was something about that girl I didn't like."

Ranger raised his eyebrow at his father, sharing a silent reflection.

"Well, we didn't know her enough to like or dislike her," Armena continued. "Carlos only brought her by on a couple of occasions, and then he stopped talking about her."

Ranger's mother looked at him pointedly, waiting for his response, and then continued to explain, realizing he wasn't going to elaborate.

"According to Carlos, things just didn't work out."

Stephanie suddenly realized that the Manoso's were talking about the woman who'd cheated on Ranger and then left town. Obviously, he hadn't bothered to give Armena the lurid details of what had really happened, and she couldn't blame him. How could he tell his mother that he'd permanently disabled a man after catching him in bed with his girlfriend? There are just some things a mother doesn't need to know. But Stephanie had a sneaky suspicion that Ranger's father knew more about the story. He didn't seem as perplexed about the break-up as his wife. And he clearly felt some kind of disdain for the woman. The disgusted look on his face spoke volumes.

Stephanie found herself studying the Manoso's mannerisms. Ranger had definitely acquired a calm and cool demeanor from his mother. She was soft spoken and seemed to be even-tempered, a peacemaker. Ernesto, on the other hand, spoke with a boisterous, straight-no-chaser approach. He seemed to be the kind of guy who wouldn't hesitate to put his foot in your ass if you pissed him off. Interestingly enough, Ranger carried innate traits from both his parents, and the complexity of his nature was now much easier for Stephanie to comprehend.

Ranger took another sip of coffee and said, "I've informed Stephanie of my rocky history with relationships. She's aware of the mishaps."

"And you're still around?" Ernesto asked Stephanie playfully. "You're a keeper."

Armena rolled her eyes at Ernesto. "Everyone has relationship problems. Carlos has grown into a mature young man and he knows how to treat a woman now. Don't you, Carlos?"

Ranger made eye contact with Stephanie and smiled. He definitely knew how to treat a woman when he put his mind to it. And if his parents hadn't knocked on his door, he'd be treating Stephanie _very_ well right now. Stephanie pulled her eyes away from Ranger's gaze, trying to keep an innocent smile on her face.

"Ranger tells us you're a bounty hunter," Ernesto said, taking a loud slurp from his coffee cup. His eyes were bright with interest; an inquisitive look covered his face. "Why on earth would a pretty girl like you want to be a bounty hunter?"

Stephanie planted herself on a bar stool next to Armena and said, "I needed quick money at the time. I'd lost my job and rent was due. So my cousin offered me a gig doing bounty hunting work, and I took it."

Stephanie conveniently left out the part where she'd blackmailed her way into the job.

"And you enjoy being a bounty hunter?" Armena asked.

"No. I can't say I enjoy the job, but I'm used to it now. And there is a certain kind of freedom and adventure that comes with being a bounty hunter. I'm really not a 9-to-5 type of girl."

"I hear ya," said Ernesto. But Armena didn't look at all pleased with that answer.

"That _freedom and adventure_ can bring danger as well," she said, looking at Ranger. "My son has the bullet holes to prove it."

"Mama," Ranger said quietly, still leaning against the counter. "Let it go for now."

Armena turned her attention back to Stephanie with a troubled look on her face.

"A mother shouldn't have to worry about laying her child to rest," she said in a dramatic whisper. "I couldn't survive that kind of experience. Your mother must be beside herself."

"Yes," Stephanie admitted sheepishly. "My mother hates my job. She worries all the time."

Stephanie wasn't sure why, but she wanted the Manoso's to know that she wasn't going to be a bounty hunter forever. It wasn't like she needed their approval, but she did want them to understand that she had envisioned a normal life for herself.

"Actually, I won't be a bounty hunter for much longer. I'm taking classes at Trenton Tech."

Mrs. Manoso looked relieved, as if Stephanie's fate had been lifted off her shoulders.

Her face creased into a smile as she looked at Ranger. "See, Carlos. Stephanie is a smart girl. She knows her boundaries. You have to know your boundaries, son."

Ranger crossed his arms over his chest, focusing on his mother. His expression was hard to read, but his voice was tender and sincere. "I know my boundaries, Mama. I don't really do much bounty hunting anymore. The job in Mexico was an unusual assignment, and it was my last hunting expedition. I'm going to focus on growing Rangeman now."

Ranger knew better than to go into detail about his last hunting expedition. He didn't want to see his mother passed out on the floor.

Ernesto blew out a long sigh. "Life's going to be pretty boring for you, son."

Armena shot Ernesto a death glare.

"What?" Ernesto said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Life for our son will finally be normal, not boring. It's time for Carlos to settle down and lead a normal life."

"Mi amore, Carlos has never led a normal life," Ernesto explained. "He's an adventurer, a wild child." Ernesto threw a smile Ranger's way, his chest puffed out in pride. Ranger silently agreed with his father's assessment with a slight nod of his head, his lips hinting at a smile. He didn't want to encourage his father's boastful observation.

Stephanie watched the father and son interaction with amused curiosity. She wondered if Ernesto had abstained from an audaciouslife only because he'd settled down at an early age. She could definitely see the man having a wild streak of his own. But the responsibility of feeding and clothing six children most likely stifled his untamed dreams. There was probably a part of Ernesto that secretly envied Ranger's life.

Armena turned back to Stephanie, ignoring the men in the room, taking no part in the bragging rights.

"Carlos was a breech baby," she told Stephanie, as if that explained everything. "And he was always the quietest child in the house. He was good student all through grade school; we didn't have any problems until he hit junior high. That's when Carlos decided he wanted to fit in with a specific group of kids, but they were bad news. By the time his fourteenth birthday rolled around, Carlos was skipping school, stealing cars, and getting into fights. You know, Carlos was a small child, beautiful hair always in his face. And the bigger kids picked on him all the time."

Ranger uncrossed his arms and blew out a sigh. "Stephanie knows the story. I doubt she wants to hear it again." He looked d at his father, eyebrows raised, silently asking for a subject change.

"So, Stephanie," Ernesto cut in. What are you studying in school?"

Armena cut her eyes at Ernesto, then at Ranger. She had just been pre-empted, and she wasn't happy about it.

Stephanie smiled politely and said, "I'm taking classes in legal office technology."

"That's great!" Armena said, all excited, as if Stephanie had just claimed she'd found the cure for cancer. She glanced at Ranger who seemed increasingly amused at his mother's antics.

"What do your parents do, dear?" Armena asked.

"My father retired from the post office a few years ago. He drives a cab to fill his free time. And my mother's a housewife."

"I was a housewife for years," Armena said. "But as the kids grew older, I had to go to work. It was too hard to provide for six school-age kids on one salary. Ernesto was working two jobs just to keep food on the table, so I went into teaching."

"Are you both still working now?" Stephanie asked the Manoso's. Ranger hadn't told her much about his parents, but he'd obviously told them some things about her.

Ernesto said, "I've owned and operated my own construction company for fifteen years. I'm ready to retire now, hand over the reigns to someone else. Armena's retired from the school system, but she gives private tutoring lessons occasionally. Not for the money, just for something to do, like your father."

"So, Ranger gets his entrepreneurial roots from you." Stephanie said to Ernesto.

Ernesto nodded at his son, face full of pride. "I taught each of my kids from an early age to be the captain of their own ship. My oldest son, Lupe, will probably take over my company when I retire. I've trained him on everything there is to know about the construction industry. And you know Carlos has excellent leadership skills. For a long time he was a follower and not a leader, but the Army changed all that. He's really made some strides with his security firm."

Armena was beaming with pride. "He's going to build a small empire with that business, I just know it."

Ranger laughed softly at his parents' remarks. Pulling out a chair and sitting at the kitchen table, he said. "You two sound like your reading from a personal advertisement. You don't have to sell my strong points to Stephanie."

Ranger looked at Stephanie, giving her an apologetic smile. "I guess you've noticed my parents are interviewing you for the position of Mrs. Carlos Manoso."

"Oh, we are doing no such thing," Armena proclaimed.

"We're just getting to know your girlfriend," Ernesto added.

But the mischievous grins on their faces told a different story.

Stephanie chuckled softly. "It's okay. I don't mind the interview or the selling points. My parents would probably do the same thing. My mother is constantly reminding me that my child bearing years are slipping away."

The Manoso's looked at Stephanie in silent anticipation, waiting to hear the real status of their son's relationship with her. And Stephanie looked at Ranger for his input. He held her gaze for a beat and then smiled, relaxing into his chair, giving her the spotlight.

Turning her attention back to the Manoso's, Stephanie explained, "Ranger and I have only been in a serious relationship for three weeks, and the first two weeks we were separated. And then this past week…Well, you know how that turned out…"

Ranger grabbed the reigns from Stephanie, getting straight to the point. "Stephanie's right, we haven't had much time to work on our relationship. We got off to a rough start, and we're trying to get back on track. This is the woman I'm going to marry, and I need some time to prove to her that I'm ready to maintain a committed relationship."

Stephanie let Ranger's proclamation sink in, and tears welled in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the water at bay. She didn't want to go all weepy in front of Ranger's parents.

Armena cradled Stephanie's hand, gently rubbing her skin, giving her a minute to compose herself.

Ernesto said, "We're just glad you found someone who makes you happy, Carlos. And you definitely don't want to rush into marriage. Take your time and get to know one another."

Armena nodded her head in agreement. "Marriage is a huge step, and it's hard work. But when you find the right person, you don't mind working hard. She patted Stephanie's hand and let out a sigh. "Just don't get too comfortable shacking up. A man will delay making a commitment when he's getting the milk for free."

Stephanie's eyes grew wide and she looked at Armena, trying to explain. "Oh, no, I'm not living with Ranger. I have my own place. I'm just hanging around until he's well.

Ranger was smiling so wide that Stephanie expected a bark of laughter to come rolling out of his mouth. Then she thought about their morning interruption and nearly laughed out loud herself. Ranger was well enough to initiate sex, and it wasn't like she was nursing him back to health. His parents could clearly see that he didn't need a live-in nurse attending to his every need.

"Now there you go making assumptions, Armena," Ernesto said. Mrs. Manoso put her hand to her chest, an innocent look spreading across her face.

"Babe," Ranger said, looking at Stephanie. "You're getting sucked in. Mama's being nosy." Then he looked at his mother and said, "Cut it out."

Armena broke into cheerful laughter and stood to her feet. "I used to be young and sassy, too. I know how you kids operate. Dating one minute, and shacking up the next. It's a wonder you have anything left to give on your wedding night."

"You seemed to do pretty well on our wedding night," Ernesto said to Armena with a smile on his face. "We weren't virgins when we got married."

"Papa, are you kidding me?" Ranger said in disgust. "I don't want to hear the details of your wedding night."

"There's nothing to hear," Armena said, walking over to Ranger. "I was four months pregnant on our wedding night, and sick as a dog."

"Oh, I must have been thinking about my first wife," Ernesto said, belting out a boisterous laugh, tickled at his own joke.

Ranger and his mother rolled their eyes at Ernesto's lame attempt at humor. But Stephanie chuckled at the joke. She liked Mr. Manoso.

"I really didn't come to harass your beautiful girlfriend," Armena said to Ranger, hoisting his T-shirt over his belly. "I rushed over to see for myself that you're okay. Now let me see the damage."

Staring at Ranger's chest, Mrs. Manoso sucked in a gasp and put her hand over her mouth. Ranger tried to avoid the shocked look on his mother's face, choosing to look at Stephanie instead. Stephanie held his gaze and gave him a supportive smile, understanding that any caring mother would have had the same reaction.

Mr. Manoso glanced at his son's chest and his eyes quickly fell to the top of the island he was sitting at. He studied the counter top attentively, wiping away imaginary crumbs. And just like that, the energy in the room changed, an awkward silence settling in every crevice of the kitchen like a thick fog. A few minutes passed without a word from anyone in the room.

Then with a gentle tug, Ranger pulled his shirt back down over his chest, looking at his mother standing over him in a daze. "I'm not taking pain medication anymore, just antibiotics for a while longer." Ranger's words came out in a guilty rush, as if he were a child trying to avoid punishment.

"That's good, Hijo," Ernesto said, his voice hitching in his throat. He was trying to be strong. He looked at his wife and said, "See Armena, he'll be as good as new in no time. Don't get yourself all worked up again. He's fine."

"Can I get you more coffee?" Stephanie asked Armena. She didn't know what else to say.

Mrs. Manoso slowly shook her head and looked down at Ranger. "Please, Hijo, promise me you'll stop risking your life for money. I can't see you like this again."

Ranger stood from the chair and leaned down, kissing his mother on the top of her head. "I promise, Mama, I'm done."

Ranger had made the same promise to Stephanie a couple of days ago, and she knew he wouldn't go back on his word.

Armena nodded her head, smoothing out Ranger's T-shirt. She walked to the refrigerator and opened the door, her eyes scanning the shelves. "Well, since I'm here, I fix you all some breakfast," she said, pulling a carton of eggs off the middle shelf. She glanced at the expiration date and turned to her husband. "Or maybe we'll just go out for brunch. How does that sound?"

"That's a good idea, Armena," Ernesto said, hopping off the bar stool. Carlos, you feel like getting out for a while?"

"I'm fine, Papa. But I have to tell you, Stephanie loves to eat. You'll have to guard your plate when she's around."

Armena slapped Ranger on his arm and rolled her eyes. "You stop that." Then she looked at Stephanie, shaking her head. "Just wait until you're married."

"There's nothing wrong with a woman who likes to eat," Ernesto chuckled, helping Armena into her jacket. And while his parents were distracted with their coats, Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Ranger, giving him a middle finger salute.

Ranger smiled wide and silently mouthed, "Later."

Stephanie licked her tongue out at Ranger and smiled. Even with his parents in the same room, he only had one thing on his mind.

Ernesto caught the two of them eyeing each other and pushed Armena towards the door. "Let's go get breakfast and get these kids back home. Carlos has some resting up to do." Then he winked at Ranger with a knowing smirk on his face.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Seven

After brunch with the Manoso's, Ranger had decided to stop by his office to pick up files and sign payroll checks. After giving Ranger a friendly reminder that he was supposed to be resting, not working, Stephanie had reluctantly agreed to drop him off at Rangeman with a guarantee that he'd work for a couple of hours and call it a day. Two hours gave Stephanie just enough time to check in at the bonds office and run a few errands.

Stephanie shuffled into the bonds office around noon. Connie was sitting at her desk staring at the computer, hands tapping gently on the keyboard. She looked up at Stephanie, eyes wide with surprise. "Hey, Stephanie, I didn't think you'd show up for work today. How's Ranger?"

Stephanie smiled at Connie and glanced around the office. "He'll be okay as long as he gets enough rest. I'm keeping an eye on him. I just dropped him off at the office."

Connie raised her eyebrows with an inquiring look on her face. "How's he going to rest at the office?"

"He's supposed to be signing checks and collecting a few files. He'll be working from home this week." Stephanie grabbed a handful of files off Connie's desk and flipped through the stack of FTA's.

"I hope you're coming back to work soon," Connie said. "As you can see, we have a few FTA's on the run."

"Where's Lula?"

"Lula's been on an hour lunch for two hours. She was hoping you'd stop by today. She'll only go after the senior citizens by herself. And Vinnie's going ape shit, threatening to hire two _real_ bounty hunters to show you and Lula how it works."

Stephanie blew out a sigh and grabbed two folders out of the stack. "I'll look for Jonathan Tory and Vigo Patellie tomorrow. I need a few captures; my rent is due next week."

"Lula will be glad to hear that," Connie said. "Call her and let her know you'll be back at work tomorrow."

"I'll call her later," Stephanie said, looking at her watch. "I better get going. I have to stop by my parents' house to pick up Rex. Grandma swears my mother has been giving him tipples from her flask."

Connie laughed out loud. The thought of a drunken hamster wobbling around his cage was a hilarious notion. But Stephanie really didn't believe that her mother would give Rex a tipple from her bottle. Grandma Mazur, on the other hand, would let Rex swim in a tub of beer just to be entertained.

"So, I guess you'll be spending all your free time at the Bat Cave, helping Ranger around the house," Connie pointed out.

"To tell you the truth, Ranger is doing much better than I expected. I thought he'd be out of commission for a while, but he's holding his own. I'll probably hang around the Bat Cave for a couple more days to help him out. I don't want to wear out my welcome."

"Honey," Connie said with a smirk. "You'll be lucky if Ranger let's you leave." Then she shook her head in disbelief and said, "I can't believe Ranger got shot during a capture. That guy has more lives than an alley cat."

"Yeah, he's one lucky guy. But I think this shooting has put a damper on Ranger's plans for future apprehensions," Stephanie said, choosing her words carefully. The Burg had heard the watered down version of Ranger's incident, and Stephanie didn't want to slip up and tell Connie what really happened. "He claims he's done with the bounty hunting gig. He's going to solely focus on Rangeman now."

Connie rolled her eyes at the news. "Vinnie's gonna shit bricks when he hears that. Ranger is his go-to man for the high risk captures."

"Vinnie will be fine," Stephanie said, heading for the door. "He'll find someone to take Ranger's place. It's not like Ranger was a full-time employee."

"This is true," Connie agreed. "I sent flowers to Rangeman. Did they arrive okay?"

Stephanie nodded her head and smiled. "Yes. The reception area was filled with plants, flowers, and get-well-soon wishes."

"Good," Connie said smiling. "He deserves the positive attention."

Ranger had made his share of enemies over the years, but there was a large portion of the Burg that appreciated the protection his company offered. Even the police department had sent a fruit basket to the Rangeman office, with a nice note attached, thanking Ranger for his services and wishing him a speedy recovery. At the end of the day, no matter what their differences were, people in the Burg always stood behind a decent, tax paying citizen who protected the township.

***

Stephanie and Ranger walked into the Bat Cave at four p.m., each carrying a bag of groceries into the kitchen. Ranger's _short _office visit had turned into a three hour working session that included two conference calls and payroll distribution. Tank had been doing what he could, but there were certain things he couldn't authorize, and payroll allocation was not part of his job description. Stephanie set the bag of food down on the kitchen cabinet and looked at Ranger.

"You look all worn out," she said. "I knew you were going to over do it. Between your parents visit, brunch and work, you've been out all day with no rest. That's not what you're supposed to be doing. You've only been out of the hospital for twenty four hours."

Ranger set down the bag he was holding and looked at Stephanie through tired eyes. "My mind is telling me that I'm okay, but my body is playing catch up."

"Go lie down for a while," Stephanie said. "I'll put the food away and start dinner."

Ranger looked at Stephanie with raised eyebrows. "Babe, you don't cook."

"Not usually, but I'm going to attempt a home cooked meal tonight. My mother gave me a couple of recipes today. Chicken Cacciatore sound good?"

Ranger ambled up to Stephanie, kissed her softly on the lips and smiled. "Sounds good. I'll go get Rex out of the truck and then I'll rest for a while."

"You really don't mind if Rex stays here for a couple days?"

"Rex and I have shared a space before. Mi casa is Rex's casa."

"Yes," Stephanie agreed. "But it was a different space and situation. I don't want to push Rex on you in your private domain."

Ranger stared at Stephanie for a beat, amused at her concern. "Babe, he's a hamster, not a kid looking for a father figure. Relax."

"Don't be a wise ass," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. "I just don't want you to think I'm getting too comfortable too soon."

Ranger's gaze turned intense, his tone losing all humor. "I want you to be comfortable in my space. You're not a visitor in my home, you're my girlfriend."

"You're right. I'm being a dope."

Ranger pulled Stephanie into his body, holding her close, his mouth touching her ear. He said, "You're not being a dope, you're being cautious. But you don't have to be. I like having you here."

Stephanie relaxed into Ranger's embrace, nestled her nose against his neck, and inhaled his scent. "I like being here," she said. "Now go get some rest. Dinner should be ready in a couple of hours."

Two hours and fifteen minutes later, Stephanie set two plates filled with chicken cacciatore, roasted, red potatoes, and mixed greens on the kitchen table. A can of Coke and a bottle of orange juice completed the meal. Boy, was she a chef or what? Looking at the food in admiration, she thought her mother would be proud. She had constantly complained that Stephanie was the only thirty-three year old woman in the Burg who prepared sandwiches for dinner and ate them standing over the sink. And Stephanie knew that her mother had a point. The only time Stephanie ate a balanced meal was when her mother prepared it. How pathetic was that?

Rex stuck his head out of his soup can, twitching his nose as the aroma from dinner drifted his way. Stephanie tapped his cage and said, "Would you like to taste my chicken?"

Rex twitched his nose again and scuttled back into his soup can. There was no way he was going to be the guinea pig tonight.

"Give me a break, Stephanie said. "I'm turning over a new leaf." But Rex held strong, hiding in his can. Stephanie gave Rex the finger and headed upstairs to wake Ranger.

The bedroom was dimly lit and Ranger was lying on his back on top of the comforter, sleeping peacefully. He had changed into a pair of black running pants and a wife beater, his feet bare. Stephanie stood over the bed, looking down at Ranger's sleeping form. If she hadn't worked so hard on the meal, she would have let him sleep a while longer. But she was starving and the food was getting cold.

Stephanie shook Ranger's shoulder gently and said, "Hey, you. It's time to eat. Get up."

Ranger didn't budge, a soft snore escaped from his lips.

Stephanie climbed on the bed and straddled Ranger's hips, leaning over his body, placing her mouth against his ear. She whispered "Are you hungry?"

Ranger stirred under her weight, feeling the heat from her body settling over his. He opened his eyes at half mast and smiled. "Babe, are you taking advantage of my body while I'm trying to sleep?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Trying to sleep? You were in a coma. Get up, it's time to eat."

"Have I been out for two hours?" Ranger asked Stephanie, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her snug into his pelvis.

Stephanie gave a little grind of her hips and said, "Yes. And I've been slaving over a hot stove the whole time."

"That's why you smell like chicken. It's a good thing I'm really hungry right now. I was thinking about having you for dinner."

"I'll be your dessert later. Now let's go eat before it gets cold."

Ranger followed Stephanie down to the kitchen and looked at the spread on the table. He blew out a low whistle and said, "You really have been working hard, Babe. Everything looks delicious."

Stephanie smiled as Ranger pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Then he sat down across from her, an impressed look on his face. He poured the can of Coke into a glass of ice and passed it to Stephanie. And then he poured a glass of orange juice for himself.

"I hope the food taste okay," Stephanie said, watching Ranger take a bite of his chicken. He chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds and swallowed, a smile spreading across his face.

"This is really good, Babe. You did a great job."

"Thank you," Stephanie said, biting into a tender piece of chicken. She was also pleasantly surprised. The food was really good. They dug into the meal at full force, a comfortable silence falling over the table. Rex poked his head out of his can again, ready for his dinner now that the food had been tested by his folks.

"You'll just have to wait," Stephanie scolded, eyes narrowed. "I offered you first dibs and you punked out."

Ranger cut his eyes at Rex and then at Stephanie, his lips hinting at a smile. "You're going to be great with kids, Babe."

"Yeah, well, sometimes you have to be tough."

"That's the way to show him who's the boss," Ranger said through a mouthful of salad.

Stephanie swallowed a piece chicken and said, "I stopped by the office today. FTA's are piling up, Vinnie's having a cow. I think I'll go after a couple of guy's tomorrow. And I also have class, so I'll have a full schedule tomorrow."

"Good luck at finding your FTA's before your class starts." Ranger said.

"I'll have to get an early start. I could use a couple of captures, rents due next week."

Ranger took a sip of orange juice and looked at Stephanie. "Your rent has been paid for the month."

Stephanie stopped chewing her food and looked at Ranger, eyes wide with surprise.

"Who paid my rent?"

"The rent fairy, Babe," Ranger said, scooping up a mouthful of potatoes.

Stephanie set her fork down on the table and stared at the rent fairy.

"You didn't have to pay my rent. That's not your responsibility."

Ranger looked up from his plate and said, "Bounty hunter's don't have the luxury of paid time off. You've spent the last few days by my side in Mexico, tending to my needs. And you lost money. Paying your rent was the least I could do."

"Thank you," Stephanie said softly. "I really appreciate you doing that. But I stayed by your side because I'm your girlfriend and I love you."

Ranger finished his chicken and set his fork down on the table. "And I paid your rent because I appreciate your love and support. And I don't mind helping you out."

"That's a lot of money," Stephanie said.

"Yeah, well, I just received a large paycheck. There was this job in Mexico…"

"Oh, cut it out." Stephanie interrupted, laughing at Ranger. "You don't have to remind me about your job in Mexico."

Stephanie stared at Ranger for a beat, deciding to jump head first into the deep end of the pool. "Do you mind telling me how much you were paid for this last assignment? Did you get a bonus for pain and suffering?"

Ranger studied Stephanie's face, his lips turned up a fraction, hinting at a smile. Stephanie couldn't tell what Ranger was thinking, but the question didn't seem to make him mad. So she pushed a bit further.

"I'm not going to steal your ATM card and go on a shopping spree. Tell me."

"I can tell you," Ranger said. "But I'll need a promise from you."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "And that promise would be?"

Ranger put a mischievous grin on his face and said, "The promise of a home cooked meal, once a week."

"Damn. You're playing hardball."

"I play to win."

"Deal," Stephanie said, secretly pleased that Ranger enjoyed her cooking enough to request a repeat.

"Twenty thousand dollars."

Stephanie stared at Ranger, mouth hanging open, silently taking in the amount.

"Cat got your tongue, Babe?"

"I'm feeling less guilty about you paying my rent now."

"I thought you would," Ranger said, sitting back in his chair.

"How does the company decide what to pay you for a capture?" Stephanie asked Ranger.

"I receive between five and ten percent of the total contract price. A couple of targets I captured in the past had million dollar contracts over their heads. So this paycheck was at the lower end of the pay scale."

"Twenty thousand dollars for two weeks worth of work? That's the low end of the pay scale?"

Ranger smiled at the incredulous look on Stephanie's face. "Now you see why it took a bullet through the spleen to get me to quit that job. And no, I didn't get a bonus for pain and suffering. I understood the risks when I accepted the job."

"With that kind of money you can by yourself a new spleen. I hear they have some fresh spleens for sale in Brazil."

Ranger let out a bark of laughter. "I'll keep that in mind, Babe."

Ranger was silent for a beat, staring at Stephanie through intense eyes.

"Would you like more chicken?" Stephanie asked him.

Ranger shook his head slowly, pushing back from the table, standing to his feet. "No. I'm ready for dessert."

"But, you don't eat dessert," Stephanie said, a flirtatious smile on her face.

"Tonight, I'm in the mood for some cherry pie." Ranger's voice was soft, seductive. He walked over to Stephanie and grabbed her hands, pulling her up from the chair.

"You might want to give Rex his dinner now. We have unfinished business from this morning to take care of."

"But who will do the dishes?" Stephanie asked with all the bogus concern she could muster.

Ranger smiled and gave Stephanie a deep, passionate kiss, his tongue roaming her mouth hungrily. Stephanie let out a soft moan, wrapping her arms around Ranger's neck. After a couple of nipple hardening minutes, she reluctantly pulled away. Grabbing a handful of salad scraps of her plate, Stephanie placed the greens in Rex's cage and followed Ranger upstairs.

Twenty minutes after serving up a slice of _cherry pie _for Ranger_,_ Stephanie was straddling his naked body, her hands resting on his shoulders. She was trying not to place all her weight on his chest, hoping she'd stay away from the stitched up wound. Ranger sensed her trepidation and placed his hands on her hips, lifting her off his shaft. He swiftly repositioned their bodies so that he was on top.

Smiling down at Stephanie, he said. "Babe, you're riding me like I'm Miss Daisy. What's the problem?"

"It's the stitches. I'm scared I'll hurt you."

Ranger's eyes darkened a shade and he grabbed Stephanie's right leg and lifted it over his left shoulder. And then he grabbed her left leg, placed soft kisses along her ankle and calf, and hoisted it over his right shoulder. Stephanie stared up at Ranger, a coy smile on her face. "Are you going all cave man on me now?"

"I'll play cave man later," Ranger said, slipping inside of Stephanie. She let out a soft gasp and closed her eyes at the powerful sensation. The position of her body allowed Ranger deep penetration and complete control. His arms encircled her thighs and he pushed deeper into her, grinding his hips in a clockwise motion. Stephanie's legs gripped Ranger's neck and he pulled all the way out, waited a few seconds, and then pushed deep inside Stephanie's center, slowly pumping his hips, hitting her G-spot with every thrust. Stephanie wiggled her hips in response, clutching the sheets, needing something to hold on to. But Ranger gripped her thighs even tighter, keeping her still, quickening his pace.

Stephanie felt her body sliding up the sheets with the force of Ranger's thrusts, and the top of her head knocked against the headboard as Ranger's hips slammed against the soft skin of her ass, a low groan escaping from his throat. Then Stephanie's muscles tightened around Ranger's shaft, and a wave of pleasure radiated from her pelvis, spreading throughout her body, reaching the tips of her toes. She clasped her ankles around Ranger's neck and let out a deep moan, her body shaking fiercely, as if she were having spasms from a seizure. She felt a familiar flow of warm liquid enter her body as Ranger let himself go. And she suddenly realized just how much she'd missed the overwhelming sensation from his seed spilling into her body.

Ranger took a few seconds to catch his breath, and then he gently unhooked Stephanie's legs from around his neck. He plopped down beside her, pulling the comforter over their damp bodies. Stephanie snuggled into Ranger's chest and closed her eyes.

"Show off," she said in a quiet voice.

Ranger placed his mouth against her temple. She could feel him smiling.

"I just wanted to show you that I'm not as vulnerable as you think, Babe."

"Point taken."

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Eight

Stephanie pulled into the Rangeman garage and parked next to Ranger's Porsche. Between work and class, the day had been too long and Stephanie was ready for a hot shower and a soft pillow. She angled out of the Jeep, walked to the elevator and pressed the up button. The doors slid open and Stephanie stepped into the elevator, glancing at her watch. It was a few minutes past ten p.m.; Ranger would probably be home soon. His day had started even earlier than hers, and he was just getting back into the physical demands of the job, so he'd probably be worn out, too.

After a two week medical hiatus, Ranger had returned to his duties as a security expert, limiting his work schedule to no more than eight hours a day, as opposed to the twelve hour days he was used to working. And after a two week stretch of full-time office duty, Ranger's family physician had given him a medical clearance to go back to his normal physical activities at work. So tonight, Ranger was in Newark, securing a building with Tank, Hal and Lester.

Stephanie used the elevator ride as a time of reflection, her mind traveling through the eight weeks she'd been with Ranger. Two months had truly felt like two years. They'd been through so much in such a short amount of time, and Stephanie felt a sense of accomplishment with Ranger that she'd never felt with Morelli. Her life finally seemed to be coming together. She was in a mature, committed relationship, and she was studying hard in school, making good grades.

The elevator opened on the seventh floor and Stephanie let herself into Ranger's apartment. Throwing her keys in a dish on the sideboard, she glanced at the stack of mail left in a silver tray. Her eyes quickly scanned the pile, honing in on a 10 X 13, golden envelope, resting on top of the heap. The return address read _B.A.R.S travel agency_ in bold, red block letters, and the packet was addressed to Mr. Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Stephanie lifted the envelope from the pile and read the postage date. The documents had been mailed to Ranger two days ago, so it was probably a recent travel arrangement.

Stephanie couldn't recall Ranger sharing any travel plans with her, so she wondered where he was going and when he was leaving. Pulling in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Stephanie contemplated what might be in the envelope. Maybe it was full of advertisements, promoting the latest vacation deals. Or maybe Ranger was traveling to one of his satellite offices to conduct business.

The rational side of Stephanie's mind said there was absolutely no way Ranger would be traveling to one last covert assignment. He'd promised that he was done with that kind of work, and she had to trust his word. But, the less rational side reared its ugly head, leaving Stephanie with a cold fear that Ranger might have changed his mind. And the contents of that envelop was going to nag at her for the rest of the night.

Stephanie placed the envelope back in its rightful spot and strolled into the bedroom to shower and change. Twenty minutes later, the scent of Ranger's shower gel radiated off her body as she stepped out of the bedroom, wearing a white tank top with blue pajama bottoms. Stomach growling, she padded to the kitchen, heading straight to her special cupboard.

Now that Ranger was back at work and spending most of his free time at the apartment again, he'd instructed Ella to buy a few items that appealed to Stephanie's taste buds. And Ella had come through like a champ, filling one cabinet with a box of Cap N Crunch cereal, two jars of peanut butter, various Tastykakes, and three bags of potato chips. Boy, did Ranger know how to keep his woman happy or what?

Ella didn't seem to mind the extended shopping list. In fact, she was thrilled that Ranger finally had a woman in his life. And she was even more thrilled that Stephanie was preparing a meal for Ranger once a week. In Ella's mind, the quickest way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Of course, Ella had yet to bare witness to some of Stephanie's cooking mishaps over the last few weeks. Some meals turned out good, others didn't' pass the test. But Ranger was a trooper, praising the good meals and suffering through the bad ones with a take-out menu close at hand.

Occasionally, Stephanie would prepare dinner at her place, if Ranger was spending the night there. But she was beginning to realize that with her hectic agenda, her apartment was becoming a stop over place instead of a permanent home. Just a locality to shower and change clothes after a disastrous capture. Or she'd drop by after work to grab a bite to eat and feed Rex on her way to class. And if she spent a whole weekend with Ranger at the Bat Cave, Rex would join her. Stephanie was spending most of her free time at Ranger's apartment, sharing his space. And so far, things were going okay.

Stephanie pulled a box of Cap N Crunch out of the cupboard and ate it dry, sitting on a bar stool. Just as she was grabbing a second handful, the lock on the door tumbled and Ranger walked in.

"Hey, you," Stephanie said through a mouthful of cereal.

"Babe," he said softly, throwing his keys in the dish on the sideboard. He picked up the mail and shuffled through it quickly. Stephanie watched with curiosity as he pulled the large envelope from the pile, abandoning the other letters. Sauntering into the kitchen, Ranger pressed his nose into Stephanie's neck, nuzzled the soft skin under her ear, and then kissed her on the lips. Stephanie wrapped her arms around Ranger waist, keeping her eyes glued to the envelope, hoping Ranger would say something about it. But he didn't.

"How was your day?" she asked Ranger.

"Long. We had to clear out a repeat offender tonight."

"He didn't' get the message the first time, huh?"

"No," Ranger said. "But he received the message loud and clear tonight, along with two broken legs."

"You threw him out of a window?"

"He slipped down a flight of stairs."

"Oh, what a shame," Stephanie said.

"Yeah, it was heartbreaking."

Ranger glanced at cereal box in Stephanie's hand. "Babe," he said, heading towards the bedroom, with the envelope. "I need a hot shower."

A wave of irritation washed over Stephanie as Ranger walked out of the kitchen. Obviously the envelope was not full of junk mail like she'd hoped. It was the only piece of mail he'd taken off the sideboard. Stephanie slammed the cereal box down on the counter, patiently waiting a few minutes, listening for a queue that it was safe to go and snoop. As soon as she heard the water streaming out of the shower head, she scurried into the bedroom.

Stephanie's eyes scanned the bedroom for the envelope but she didn't see it anywhere. Then she tiptoed into the dressing room, opening and searching each drawer. No envelope. Blowing out a huff of irritation, she checked the drawers of the computer desk, one by one. No envelope. Next, she opened the blanket chest at the foot of the bed, searching underneath the blankets to no avail.

"What the hell?" Stephanie said under her breath, frustrated and perplexed. She was growing more annoyed as each minute ticked by. The fact that Ranger had come in the room and hidden the envelope so fast was really pissing her off. Now she was almost positive he'd made the decision to finish out his contract without telling her. That would be the only reason he'd hide his travel plans.

The water shut off in the bathroom and Stephanie hustled her ass into the sitting room. She flopped down on the couch and switched on the television. She was trying to remain calm. She didn't want to jump to a specific conclusion without an explanation from Ranger. But her mind had already made the leap due to his silence. A few minutes passed and Ranger ambled out of the bedroom wearing silk boxers, hair damp from the shower. If Stephanie hadn't been so irritated with him, she would have jumped his bones right then and there.

Ranger left the bedroom for a few minutes, returning with a box of organic, unsweetened granola in one hand, and a Corona in the other. He joined Stephanie on the couch, resting his feet across her lap.

Shoving a handful of granola into his mouth, he asked, "How was your day, Babe?"

"Not much excitement. No explosions or car mishaps. Lula and I had to chase an FTA's pet guinea pig down an alley around lunch time. He ran scared when I kicked in the owner's back door. The FTA got away, but we apprehended the pig."

"You should have kept the pig as a trade off," Ranger said.

"The pig's at Lula's house. I left a message for the FTA that if he doesn't turn himself in by tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to have a nice pork roast to prepare for dinner this week."

"Nice." Ranger smiled wide and took a healthy swig from his Corona.

Then he looked at the television screen and said, "Why are you watching Spike T.V.? I thought you hated that network." Picking up the remote, he switched the channel to ESPN and relaxed into the cushions of the couch.

"I had just turned it on when you came out of the bathroom," Stephanie said, watching as Ranger suddenly became occupied with the latest updates in sports.

"So, what's going on with you?" she asked Ranger. "Will you be traveling to any of your satellite offices any time soon?"

"Nope," Ranger said, shaking his head slowly, taking another pull from the beer bottle.

Stephanie pushed further. "It's been a while since you've traveled to a satellite office."

Ranger pulled his eyes away from the television and looked at Stephanie with a raised eyebrow. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No! Just making conversation."

"The offices in Atlanta, Miami and Boston are being managed by my partners," Ranger explained. "I manage the Trenton office, and occasionally I'll fill in if one of them takes a vacation. But there are no vacations scheduled until March."

"Oh, I see."

Ranger turned his attention back to the television and his beer. Stephanie decided to take the conversation in a different direction. The subtle approach clearly wasn't working. She gave Ranger a few minutes to listen to more sports news, and then she said, "Have you told the secret organization that you're not planning to finish out your contract?"

"Yes," Ranger said, shoving another handful of granola into his mouth. Stephanie waited patiently for him to chew, swallow and explain. He chewed and swallowed and continued to watch television.

"Hello!" Stephanie said in an irritated tone. "I'm trying to have a conversation here."

Ranger picked up the remote and muted the volume on the television. Then he turned to Stephanie and said, "I'm trying to get in a little quiet time, Babe."

"Fine," Stephanie said, pushing Ranger's feet off her lap. "Have your quiet time. I'm going to bed."

Ranger stared at Stephanie with a questioning look on his face. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is you won't talk to me!" The words came out of Stephanie's mouth harsher than she'd intended.

Ranger shut off the television and set the box of granola on the table. "What do you want me to say? Or better yet, what do you want to know that I'm not telling you?"

Stephanie stared at Ranger, eyes narrowed into slits. "Where are you going?"

"Am I going somewhere?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes in the top of her head. Ranger's dismissive attitude was really pissing her off.

"I saw the envelope from the travel agency, Ranger. What are you hiding?"

"Is that why you were searching my room? Looking for an envelope that's not even addressed to you?"

Shit! Of course Ranger knew she'd been snooping through his things. He knew everything!

Stephanie flopped back into the cushions of the couch and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to yell while flapping her hands through the air. She took a few deep breaths and looked at Ranger. Ranger appeared to be calmly waiting for her answer, but the tightness around his mouth was a sure sign that he was angry. And he had every right to be angry. But Stephanie felt her anger was also justified.

She explained evenly, "When I walked in tonight, I saw the envelope on the sideboard and noticed it was from a travel agency. You hadn't mentioned that you'd be traveling, so I assumed you were keeping me in the dark for a reason."

"And that reason would be?" The tone of Ranger's voice had dropped an octave, dangerously low.

Stephanie was silent for a beat, fully aware that Ranger had already guessed the reason.

"I thought maybe you'd decided to finish your contract without telling me."

Ranger stared at Stephanie, letting the words hang in the air, along with an intense silence.

"So, let me get this straight," he finally said. "You think that I'd not only go back on my word about finishing the contract, but you also think that I'd leave Trenton for a few weeks and keep you in the dark the whole time? Seriously, Stephanie, that's what you think I'd do to you?"

Stephanie was speechless. She really didn't think Ranger would be that deceptive. But she didn't understand why he had hidden the envelope in the first place. Completely frustrated, she said, "I don't know what to think, Ranger."

Without another word, Ranger stood from the couch and disappeared into the bedroom. After a few seconds, he came back with the envelope and tossed it into Stephanie's lap. Stephanie looked down at the packet and then she looked at Ranger, guilt softening her face.

"Open it," Ranger ordered.

"Ranger, if this is private…"

"Open the damned envelope, Stephanie," Ranger said with more force behind his words. "Privacy wasn't your main concern when you went snooping through my things."

Stephanie had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd fucked up and she knew it. But she opened the envelope anyway, pulling out two airline tickets to Cancun, Mexico, dated for the last week in March. There was a ticket with Stephanie's name on it and a ticket for Ranger. A glossy brochure with a picture of a seven story resort fell out of the envelope, landing in Stephanie's lap. Her eyes stayed glued to the brochure, refusing to meet Ranger's gaze. She was too ashamed to face him. "I'm so sorry, Ranger, I thought…"

"You've already filled me in on what you thought," Ranger said quietly, cutting Stephanie off. "Maybe you can call the agency and change the name on my ticket. I've already spent the money. Go with someone you trust."

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

Darkness in the Offing

By Dayoh

Chapter Nine

Stephanie sat silently on the couch, dazed at what had just transpired. She felt like shit, and rightfully so. Instead of just asking Ranger what was in the envelope, she'd jumped to the most negative conclusion without giving him the benefit of the doubt. Ranger had always held his cards close to his chest, never showing his hand until he was good and ready. But the lack of communication combined with Stephanie's probing nature was sure to cause problems in their relationship, if they couldn't find common ground.

Ranger had walked angrily out of the room forty minutes prior, leaving Stephanie in a daze. Staring down at the tickets sitting in her lap, she contemplated her next move. In another place and time, Stephanie would have shoved herself into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and rushed out the door with her tail tucked between her legs. But those days were over. She was going to act like an adult and deal with the situation head-on. Standing to her feet, she placed the tickets on the couch and walked into the living room. Ranger was in his zone, eyes glued to the television. But she could tell that his mind was somewhere else. He was probably wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

Stephanie watched him for a couple of minutes, and then she said in a non threatening tone, "Ranger, we need to talk?"

"I'm done talking for tonight, Stephanie. You should go home."

Stephanie stood by the couch, studying Ranger's face, trying to gauge how far she should push the situation. Just because he was done talking didn't mean he couldn't listen. So, she pressed on.

"You're pissed. I get that. But I'm not leaving until you hear me out."

Ranger didn't say a word; he just sat in silence, pretending to watch ESPN. And Stephanie remained planted in her spot, standing by the couch, staring at Ranger. After a few uncomfortable moments, he finally picked up the remote and shut off the television. Keeping his eyes glued to the dark screen, he said, "Talk."

Blowing out a small sigh, Stephanie sat on the couch next to Ranger, leaving adequate space between them. Just in case she had to make a quick dash for the door. She didn't expect the conversation to turn into a violent yelling match, Ranger didn't yell. But if he suddenly got the urge to toss her out the front door on her ass, she'd have a head start.

"I'm sorry," she said, facing Ranger. "I handled this situation all wrong. I should have asked you what was in the envelope instead of assuming the worst."

Ranger ran his hand down his face in frustration. "Why would you assume that I'd gone back on my word?"

"What was I supposed to think, Ranger?"

Ranger turned to Stephanie in disbelief, shocked that she would even ask such a question.

He said, "You're supposed to _trust _me."

"I do trust you!"

"You have a strange way of showing your trust, Stephanie."

"I apologize. I was wrong."

"I don't need your apology," Ranger said, frustration filling his voice. "I need you to have confidence in me, know that I'm going to do what I say. If you can't do that, we can't continue this relationship."

Tears burned Stephanie's eyes and she quickly turned away from the look of hurt spreading across Ranger's face. Of course his feelings had been hurt by her actions. He was human, after all. He'd gone and planned a romantic trip for the two of them, and she was worried about him sneaking around behind her back. Nice job, Stephanie.

Staring straight ahead, she fought back the tears threatening to fall, blinking rapidly.

After a few silent moments, Stephanie pulled in a deep breath and said, "I need more communication from you. If I don't know what's going on, I assume the worst."

"The trip was a surprise, that's why I didn't mention it."

"I understand that now," Stephanie said, turning to look at Ranger again. "And I might have drawn a different conclusion about the travel arrangements if you had just talked to me, and explained that things were settled with the organization."

Ranger remained quiet, considering Stephanie's appeal. She didn't think the request was unfair. But she wondered if Ranger was willing to meet her half way.

"I've never shared _all_ of my personal business with anyone," Ranger confessed.

"I'm not asking you to share _all _ofyour personal business with me, Ranger. I'm asking you to communicate information that affects our relationship. My actions were based on fear, not distrust."

"I know I need to communicate more with you," Ranger said through a soft sigh, shifting his body on the couch to face Stephanie. "And, I owe you an apology. You're right; I should have mentioned that I'd talked to someone from the organization."

Stephanie absorbed the words for a beat and then scooted a little closer to Ranger, closing the space between them.

"I don't need your apology," she said, repeating his words. "I just need you to talk to me, keep me posted. That's a sign that you trust _me_. And if you can't do that, we definitely can't continue this relationship."

Ranger cut his eye to Stephanie. "That's my line."

"Yeah, I hope we don't have to keep repeating that same old line, over and over."

"No, Babe. I don't want to hear a repeat of that line," Ranger said, grabbing Stephanie by her shirt, hoisting her into his lap, holding her close. The lines around his mouth had softened, his anger deteriorating along with the fight. Touching his lips to Stephanie's ear, he whispered. "I don't like fighting with you."

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Ranger's neck, relaxing in his embrace, relieved that they'd survived their first fight.

"Well, on the bright side, the fight could have been worse," she said. "I think we handled the situation with a great deal of maturity. I didn't wave my hands in the air or stomp out of the apartment. And you didn't throw me out the window."

"I thought about it," Ranger said, nuzzling Stephanie's neck. "But it would be hard to throw the woman I love out a window. That's just wrong."

Stephanie looked at Ranger and smiled. "Are you still taking the woman you love to Cancun?"

"I'll call and ask her as soon as you're asleep."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at Ranger's sad attempt at humor and said, "I'm serious. Have I ruined our vacation or what?"

"That depends," Ranger said, his lips spreading into a smirk. "How bad do you want to go?"

"Jeez, there's a price now?"

"You ruined my surprise. You owe me."

"Why Mexico?" Stephanie asked. "That place holds such bad memories."

"My goal was to try and replace the bad memories with pleasant ones."

"Well, isn't that romantic… and rotten. I feel guiltier now than I did before."

"Good," Ranger said. "I plan to milk that guilt for all it's worth."

"Not to ruin your payback moment," Stephanie said, crawling out of Ranger's lap. But while we're on the subject of Mexico, can you tell me what you said to the organization to get out of your contract?"

Ranger looked at Stephanie and blew out a soft sigh. "I told them I was having some complications from surgery and I didn't know how long I'd be out of commission. I had to make them believe I'd be a liability health wise. The company doesn't deal with employees that are not healthy enough to do the job. So my request for an early termination was reluctantly approved."

"Good to know," Stephanie said. "If you would have shared that information with me a few weeks ago, I would have never worried about that envelope."

"Liar," Ranger said around a small, disbelieving smile.

Stephanie smiled sheepishly back at Ranger, knowing he was right. "Okay, so I would have been _slightly_ curious."

"Babe, you would have torn my room apart trying to find that envelope, no matter what you assumed. You're nosy as hell."

"That's what makes me a good bounty hunter, right?"

Ranger stood to his feet and said, "No, that's what makes you a pain in the ass." He strolled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, peering inside.

Stephanie shuffled behind him, hot on his heels. "But you're still taking this pain in the ass to Cancun, right?"

Ranger pulled a can of whip cream off the shelf and gave Stephanie a roguish grin, hooking his arm around her neck. "You're gonna have to work hard for that trip, Babe."

"And you think whip cream's gonna wear me down?" Stephanie asked incredulously.

Ranger dragged Stephanie towards the bedroom. "Did I mention you'll be handcuffed to the bed, wearing a blindfold?"

Oh, boy!

The End…For Now


End file.
